Live Like We're Invincible
by warrior of the nile
Summary: So Tony and Jane have now been given a major upgrade. Now it's time to figure out how to use their powers. In between that, Tony has a few other things he needs to get done. Like studying the Infinity Stones. And making allies. And talking to Shuri. And have team training for the newly formed team. And spending time with Peter. And, well, a lot of things. Time to get to work.


**Team Iron Man story.**

theme: Young and Relentless by Against The Current

* * *

Tony takes a deep breath and slowly aims. Carefully making sure that he points at his target, he holds his hands steady. Focus. It is all about focus here. So – ready, aim, fire–

POP!

Paper confetti rains down on him as he laughs. One of the strips falls into his mouth and he has to spit it out. Ugh. Not that paper necessarily tastes bad in and of itself, but it does when it comes out of a party popper apparently.

Rhodey laughs. "Smooth Tones," he says.

Tony turns so that he can see him and throws some of the confetti in his face. He is already covered, so it doesn't really make that much of an impression. Both of them are at this point. They have been at this for a couple of hours already. Above them, the moon shines brightly down on them. The stars are visible, being this far out of the city. It's peaceful.

This use to be one of his favorite things to do at MIT that didn't involve engineering. He and Rhodey would find an out of the way spot and spend the time shooting off party poppers. Because that was the only thing close to a firework that anyone trusted them with. Oh sure, he could have gotten real fireworks, but really, these were just as fun. It didn't matter much at three in the morning how impressive your fire power was.

It was a bitch to clean up, but it was so worth it. Some of his best memories are of the two of them doing this. Sometimes Stef would be around to join them, but mainly it was just Tony and Rhodey. Because you can't spend every night drunk engineering. Or at least according to Rhodey you couldn't. And really, when Tony first came to MIT, he wasn't all that interested in alcohol to begin with. He was more curious about science. And famous or no, there is no such thing as a cool fourteen year old. Not when you are around college age people.

Now they are revisiting this tradition. Mainly because Tony missed it and had bought some for himself. He had been intending on shooting them off later when no one was around. But then FRIDAY ratted him out and Rhodey insisted on joining. So here they are, laying on their backs, watching the stars and playing with party poppers. Because Rhodey is a dork like that. At least Tony has the excuse of being seventeen again. What does he have?

Though, really, he's glad that Rhodey joined him. This just isn't the same when you are doing it by yourself. Alright, so he might be a bit of a dork too. But he never has to admit that to anyone but himself, so that's ok.

"Ok, something you miss about MIT," Rhodey says. It is a game they have started playing when Rhodey had asked just what his memories were like. Which lead them down memory lane. Which lead to this strange version of twenty questions.

Tony sighs as he thinks about it. So, there are actually a lot of ways he can answer this, but... Well, he knows Rhodey won't judge him, no matter how stupid he sounds. Or won't judge him much anyways. "Stupidly miss or just miss in general?" he asks instead, hoping to avoid this. He did promise honesty after all, it's just... ugh.

"Oh this I have to hear now. Definitely stupidly," he answers.

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Tony mutters, "Alright, so you've had your disclaimer so be warned. This _is_ stupid, but – Ty. I miss that asshole Tiberius alright?"

"What?" Rhodey twists to look at him, "Did you just say Ty?"

Tony nods, avoiding his gaze. "I told you it was stupid," he says lightly, trying to make light of it.

Rhodey isn't going to let him though. Of course not. "That's not just stupid. That's epicly stupid. Why in the hell do you miss that asshole?"

Tony shrugs uncomfortably. "Because, as far as most of my brain is concerned, we just broke up about five months ago? And yeah, he was shitty, don't give me that face platypus, I know he was. No need to go all mother dragon on me. But we had also been together for nine months."

"Nine months too long," Rhodey says, growl in his voice.

Tony rolls his eyes. That's his mother dragon alright. Take it, he's not exactly wrong about Ty. Dating him wasn't exactly one of Tony's most brilliant ideas. But it happened and Tony can't deny the experience – as much as he would like to now. Especially since he is dating Peter and knows just how good a relationship can really be.

That's another reason he had been hesitant at first to date Peter. Besides being convinced he was going to mess things up, he and Ty hadn't been apart all that long. True, some people might get kind of judgmental about that, but, well. Yeah. It happened. And it wasn't as if it was actually a relationship by those last few months. It had evolved into something Tony doesn't like to think about. No need to bring it up to other people.

But Rhodey is different. Rhodey was the one who helped him get out in the first place. Well, not 'get out' because that makes things sound worse than they really were. But he was there to help Tony through everything.

"Still say you should have let me _really_ drive home the point that no one messes with you and gets away with it," Rhodey continues, still sounding pissed.

"And then have me bail you out of jail?" Tony asks, "Not that I wouldn't have, but that would have also gone on your records. I don't think the Air Force would have been too impressed with that."

"Would have been worth it," he says, "But fine, what's a non stupid thing you miss about MIT?"

Tony hums. "My RA from freshman year – Kaitlyn."

"Oh that _is_ a good one. She was the best. I wish I could have had her too." He sighs wishfully.

Tony wonders briefly how she is. Kaitlyn was the best out of all Tony's RAs. She literally didn't give a shit about anything as long as they didn't destroy anything or didn't get caught doing anything stupid. She breezed through all those mandatory shit floor meetings and took them on 'field trips' on the weekends. Also, she baked the best cupcakes imaginable. Seriously, Tony has never found another one as good as her's. She has ruined him for cupcakes.

That and she had a massive nerf gun collection. _Massive_. And Saturdays were game days. Most of the time they raided her collection and played either a free for all or this messed up game of capture the flag with them. There were teams and strategies and everything. It was a blast. She wasn't even pissed when Tony improved one of her guns. He probably should have asked first, but it was a spur of the moment kind of thing.

One of his favorite times was when there had been this huge storm that had blown in from off the coast. It was enough to knock all the electric out. The generators were only running the minimal, so it was fairly eerie in the dorms. They had all gathered in the hallway, flashlights and blankets in hand. None of them had wanted to be alone right then. Kaitlyn had broken out the pop tarts and they had spent the night talking.

He remembers the lightning had been blue and green that night. Something Tony has never seen again. He had forgotten about that until now. Maybe next time he sees Thor – if he ever comes back from wherever he fucked off to – he'll ask him about that. Maybe it was just his kind of storm. Literally. For all that they were teammates, Tony never really got a chance to see more than the basics of Thor's powers.

Then again, it feels like that with the rest of the team as well. He knew them, but he never really _knew_ them. Not the important things at least. Maybe if he had, the split wouldn't have happened. They would still be together, united for what is to come. Wouldn't that be for the best?

Maybe not though. He couldn't see it then, or rather he ignored it, but there had always been a barrier between him and the others. Like he didn't fit in. Not quite. Not enough to be truly one of the gang. He remembers saying that Rogers was the one who lead them, he just paid for it all. It came out as a joke, but it was true, wasn't it? They were using him.

Now this could have been accidental. Maybe they just got so use to Tony being there they got lazy and took advantage. It's possible. But he remembers Romanov's evaluation – Tony Stark, not recommended. And he remembers that when Thor lifted him up by his throat, none of the others had said a word to stop him. He remembers... well, a lot of little things like that.

It's a bitter feeling, even if he now has some emotional distance from it. Because, while he might not have experienced that anymore, technically speaking, he has with other people. Everyone wants a piece of him. A lot of people feel entitled to take it, whether he wants them to or not. He's been used before. The Avengers were the last in a long line of people.

He knows and he is bitter. Maybe he should let that go. He isn't though. He is determined never to be used like that again. It likely won't stick, but it is a lovely thought to have though. A man can dream after all, can't he?

"Alright then," Rhodey brings him out of his thoughts, "since I know you aren't going to tell me why you're making that face, favorite ice cream flavor."

Tony frowns at him. "I'm not making a face," he protests, "and ice cream? Really? Since when has my taste in ice cream ever changed?"

"Maybe I don't remember. Remind an old man." Rhodey smirks at him.

"Hate to tell you this honey bear, but you aren't funny. Not in the least. And don't think I don't know what you are doing." Because he totally does. He isn't that oblivious after all. He knows when he's being purposefully distracted from his mind. "And rocky road you savage."

"Me? _I'm_ the savage one? Oh that's cold Tones." Rhodey is still smirking at him with far too much pleasure.

"Yes you are. As long as you like mint chocolate chip the best, you are the savage," he says firmly. Because mint is good. And chocolate is extremely good. But the two mixed together? Savage.

"Like you are any better with those smoothies of yours." Rhodey throws a handful of confetti back at him.

"Hey! Platypus, how could you?" Tony is honestly feeling attacked right now. "I'll have you know that I can hardly help what Dum-E puts in my smoothies."

"Yeah. Right," Rhodey says disbelievingly, "Except I wasn't talking about Dum-E's smoothies, I was talking about yours. Or did you forget that we shared a dorm for three years. I know exactly what you added to those concoctions that you insisted on drinking all the time."

"They were not _concoctions_ ," Tony insists, "There was nothing wrong with them. They were a meal in a drink thank you very much. And there was nothing weird about what I put into them either. They tasted fine."

"Of course they tasted fine to you. By that time, you had already permanently damaged your taste buds by drinking too hot coffee."

"This again?" Tony sighs. "I admit, it is a skill I had to develop, but not that much. There's no need to be jealous of my awesomeness. And I'll have you know it wasn't coffee I learned it with either." He sniffs snootily, just to get his point across.

"You mean you _weren't_ born drinking coffee out of the crib?" Rhodey teases, "What was it then? You've never actually told me."

"Jarvis' hot chocolate," Tony says quietly. He misses Jarvis. Out of all the people that are gone now, it is Jarvis that Tony misses the most. Sure, it's... odd to know that his parents are gone. It leaves him off balance and strangely empty. And he aches when he remembers that Aunt Peggy's funeral was less than a year ago. Then, he had snuck into the back to watch. No need to draw attention to himself. That was the last thing he wanted. Aunt Peggy meant too much for her funeral to be turned into a circus just because Tony Stark was there.

Besides, even after all that time, Rogers still didn't know that Tony knew Peggy. That she was his godmother. That he called Sharon 'cousin', even if they technically weren't. Then wasn't really the time to tell him either.

So yes, her death hurts. But not nearly as much as Jarvis' death does. He was like another Dad to him. The best one he had. Howard was Howard and therefore Father. Sometimes. Other times he was just Howard period. Obie, who was his godfather, was more like Cool Uncle Obie then a Father. Bur Jarvis... _Jarvis_. He was the one who was there whenever Tony needed him. And whenever he didn't – when he wanted to be alone or when everything felt like too much – he was still there. Always supporting Tony.

And now Tony is never going to see him again.

His thoughts must be showing on his face because Rhodey moves so that he can tug Tony against him. "Hey, what, Rhodey bear," he squawks.

"Quiet you," Rhodey says. He doesn't stop until Tony is practically laying on top of him. He sighs. "I swear, that head of yours."

"Why sugarplum, if you wanted me here, all you needed to do was ask." He flutters his eyes at him.

Rhodey just rolls his eyes. "Brat," he says fondly, "that didn't work the first time you were seventeen, it's not going to work now. And what have I told you about getting lost in your head like that?"

"That you'll always be there to pull me out again." Tony smiles, a bit shyly, against his chest. He made that promise when Tony was fifteen. It was the first time Rhodey had seen him like that, lost and strung out from everything swimming in his head – most of it unpleasant. He kept that promise too.

"That's right. You aren't going to get away that easily." He reaches up and rubs his back.

"Whatever you say cherry pop."

"That's right – whatever I say. I'm glad you finally got that through that thick skull of yours."

Tony sticks his tongue out at him.

Rhodey just laughs at him.

Rude. So very rude. Well, he'll have to do something about that then. He twists and grabs another party popper and sets it off over top of them. It rains paper confetti down over them. There. He smiles smugly at Rhodey.

"Yeah Tones, that really shows me." Rhodey laughs at him.

But obviously, since he's the one wiping confetti off of his face, Tony did. He totally wins.

But Rhodey shakes his head. "You look ridiculous," he says. He reaches up and wipes all the extra paper off of his head.

"I'll have you know that I've never looked ridiculous in my life," he says haughtily.

"Sure thing jailbait." Rhodey's smirk is one of pure satisfaction.

"Oh not this again," he complains, "Seriously sugar pie, get a new one will you? This one is getting worn out real fast."

Rhodey hums in thought. "Not from where I'm sitting it's not."

"Where you are sitting is with me on top of you. Because you put me here. You might want to rethink that one," Tony says, rather reasonably.

"Can I help it if you're my little koala cat?"

Tony laughs. Oh damn, he hasn't heard that one in years now. It's kind of sad actually. "There's still no such thing, sorry to say."

"Sure there are," Rhodey disagrees, "It's just that they are an endangered species. And it's hard to track down to study. Only a few have seen it in its natural habitat."

"Oh really?" Tony raises an eyebrow down at him.

"Sure thing. Population one – Anthony Edward Stark." He looks far too satisfied with himself. "Besides, what is your argument, that a platypus shouldn't exist either? That it didn't make any sense?"

"It _doesn't_. Rhodey bear, it doesn't! Haven't you seen what one of those things look like. It's like, it couldn't decide what kind of animal it wanted to be, so it chose all of them. _All of them_ sweet peach! What is the evolutionary advantage to that? It exists to confuse small children. That's all it does." He might flail here a little bit. Because it is true. It fits all of the categories of animals. Seriously, the hell?

Rhodey just laughs at him and shoots off another popper.

-xxx-

The next day, they have finally managed to all gather at one table to talk things out. Because they really need to start working on this stuff. Who the hell knows what their timeline is like after all. Certainly not Tony, that's for sure.

"I call our first official meeting of the Stone Heads to order," he says as he glances at everyone.

There are snorts from several people.

"What?" he asks, pouting slightly at them, "It's a good name. I could have used Almost Horcrux Heads, but that doesn't really roll off the tongue very well."

"If you four," Rhodey says, motioning to him, Jane, Stef and Vision, "are the Stone Heads, what does that make us?" he asks, pointing to himself and Darcy.

Tony smiles brightly at them. "You're my groupies of course. All good bands need groupies after all."

"Does that make us Stoners?" Darcy asks, "Because, if so, I say we get the good stuff."

Jane snorts. "The last thing you need is weed. You have enough energy as it is."

"What? How do you know I get hyped up? I could chill down from it instead." Darcy waves her hand downwards to illustrate that.

Jane just looks at her. "I know because we smoked together that one time, remember?"

"Yeah I know. But it could have changed since then," she says, valiantly ignoring Jane's 'I doubt it', "Besides, how else was I supposed to get you to relax? You hadn't slept in like a week by then. I had to take drastic measures." She nods gravely.

"Oh god," Jane puts her head in her hands, "I can't believe we are telling people this."

"Don't worry," Tony pats her back, "you should hear some of the things Rhodey bear tried when I got like that. Illegal drugs are nothing to that."

"I'm afraid to ask," Jane says.

"I'm not," Darcy says immediately after, "What was it? I might use it on this one next time I need it."

"As fascinating as all of this is, can we please get back on topic?" Stef asks dryly.

"He's just jealous my platypus was better at it," Tony says conspiratorially, leaning further into Jane's space. He nods gravely to convey just how true that is. Not that Stef was technically _terrible_ at calming him down, but he wasn't as good as Rhodey. Then again, no one was.

"I have gathered all that I have learned about the Mind Stone," Vision says, "both from experience and from what Professor Xavier was able to tell me."

"And I," Stef says, motioning, "have brought a few books with me." A stack of books drop onto the table in front of them with a thud.

It's a good thing it is as strong as it is, or that move would have broke it. Tony eyes them speculatively. "Are you allowed to borrow some of these books?" he asks. Not that he especially cares, but it would be best to know now rather than later. "They look kind of old. Or did you steal them when Wong wasn't looking again?"

Stef tilts his head up."I am the Master of the Mystic Arts," he says importantly, "I'll have you know that I can borrow whatever books that I want."

Which means, yes, he stole them. Again. Tony can't wait until Wong finds out. Not that he has met Wong yet, but he sounds entertaining from the stories. Stef really does tell the best stories sometimes. "Good then. Want to give us mere mortals a quick summary before we dive into the details?" he asks.

Stef nods. "There are six of these Infinity Stones – Space, Mind, Time, Reality, Power and Soul. They are said to be created at the same time the universe was created. They are extremely powerful and it is best not to handle them with your bare hands. It is too much for one person to handle."

"Amen to that," Darcy says, pointing to Jane.

She grimaces. "Not all that fun," she says.

"Yes," Stef agrees, " The human body is not meant to be able to handle such power for long. It is a miracle that you survived what you did. Although that might not be a problem for you now. I believe that you could wield the Reality Stone without any more ill effects to yourself. The same with Tony and the Space Stone."

"Even without knowing how I came into contact with it?" he asks.

"Yes," Stef nods, "You have that power in your blood. That is what is important now. Like calls to like. There is nothing to say you would not be fine."

"Good to know." You know, if he ever gets in the mood to juggle Infinity Stones or something. Looks like it would be a one stone act. Not that it really matters. Asgard has the Stone right now. They should anyways. Who knows what a certain Trickster is up to anymore.

"If a person manages to gather all six of these Stones," Stef continues, "they will essentially have the power of a god. They can do almost anything they want."

" _Almost_ anything?" Rhodey asks. "Are there built in limits to these things then?" He sounds relieved at the idea.

Tony can't say he blames him. Bad enough that they don't know what they are going against. The Chitauri, yeah, that's a known factor. But everything else? No clue. The idea of battling someone who has the power of a god – not an Aesir like Thor or Loki, but an actual god – is a daunting one. Limits are a good thing at this point.

"More to say that there are built in limits to the universe," Stef says, correcting him, "Anything is possible, it is true. But one has to be very careful when playing with the fundamental elements of the universe. There is always a price to be had when you do. A certain kick back if you will."

Rhodey nods thoughtfully at that.

Tony hums. Sounds likely enough. That's basic world building right there really. You build a world from the ground up, like a pyramid or something. Then, when you are done, you can fuck with everything but the base of the structure. Do that and everything comes crumbling down. Wait, does that mean they have to stop the universe from exploding? Shit. He really hopes not. The universe is a lot bigger than the Earth. Where would you even start?

"That's great and all, but do we know anything about the leader of the Chitauri?" Jane asks the question they are all wondering. Well, they are wondering about a bunch of stuff, but this is one of the top five. "Do we know what he is after? What he wants? Do we even have a _name_?"

Tony stares blankly at her for a moment, thinking. What did Loki tell him when he de-aged him? Not much, when you really think about it. That he is important, yes. That he is crucial to this fight, sure. That this specifically is the enemy and these are his goals, no. No he did not. Rather unfortunate, now that he thinks about it. Fortunately it is not all up to him to have all of the answers.

"A name, no. But there are whispers growing among the shadows," Stef says, "You can hear them if you know where to listen. He is after the Infinity Stones. We know that for sure. They say he is obsessed with death. Whether that be Lady Death or the death of the universe in general, that I do not know yet. That is why it is so important that we learn all that we can about them."

Well then, doesn't that sound ominous. Time to lighten things up a bit. "Besides the fact that having powers you don't know how to use is a _really bad_ idea," he says. Because it is true. Even if there wasn't a massive threat coming their way, Tony would be learning about this. Anyways, how is he supposed to resist the curiosity? He is an engineer. Engineers are curious by nature, always wanting to know how something works. This is no different.

"So what _do_ we know about the Stones then?" Jane asks.

"And are they safe, if someone is after them?" Rhodey asks next.

"The Time Stone is safe," Stef says, "I am the guardian of that. We obviously know where the Mind Stone is," he nods to Viz, "Asgard knows the location of both the Space and the Reality Stones. I am unaware of where the Power Stone is and the Soul Stone has been lost for centuries now. Some think it is a myth, it hasn't been seen for so long. It's not known if it's ever been wielded before."

"Next question is does the Mystery Man know what you know?" Rhodey asks.

"We should assume that he does and likely more," Stef answers.

"Oh goody then." Rhodey sighs as if he was hoping for something different, but not really expecting it.

"So what can these babies do anyways?" Darcy asks.

"Well SHIELD claimed they wanted to use the Tesseract as a energy supply – which they could have. But they really used it to make weapons. We _know_ that would have worked because HYDRA did the same thing. Other than that, it's a portal. Space. Beam me up Scotty, although you might not end up

where you want. Or you might get there in pieces."

"So progress as usual," Rhodey says as he looks at him.

Tony nods. "Pretty much. Although I still say a transporter would have been a great idea."

"Well once you figure your shit out, you will be a walking transporter yourself."

Tony beams. "I know. It is going to be awesome." And slightly terrifying, but no one needs to know that part. Tony is suppose to be fearless after all. He's suppose to laugh in the face of danger. Ha! Tell that to the panic attacks he use to get before he got de-aged.

Now is different though. Now he doesn't have all of that baggage. Still, he is still low key freaking out about the whole no longer human thing. And he still doesn't know how it happen in the first place. Another thing to ask Loki if he ever pops back up again. Hmm, maybe he should make a list of things so that he doesn't forget. Not that he would. But it would also make it more official as well. Or look more official anyways.

"Awesome would be one word for it," Rhodey says dryly.

"Epicly cool would be another," Darcy adds.

"Yes," Stef says with a snort, "because smart ass here has always been so cool."

"Oh shut up Tricks," Tony says.

"I suppose it is obvious what the Reality Stone does," Jane says ruefully.

"Reality warping," Vision says needlessly.

"That is _so_ cool though," Darcy waves her hands excitedly. She almost smacks Rhodey in the face. "Reality warping. You have to admit that that sounds pretty bad ass."

"A bit." Jane returns her grin, as if excited because Darcy is, not because she is.

Tony can understand that. If this is a big change for him, it is a huge change for her. He is, at least in theory, use to all this weird stuff happening to him. He's Iron Man – Iron Defender, he has to get use to that – after all. Jane? All Jane ever did was hit Thor with her truck. She is a scientist. That job is suppose to be a lot more calm than hers ended up being.

That also reminds him, he needs to find a good way to get those two together. Something good, so that it works. And something smooth so that Rhodey doesn't spend the rest of their lives mocking him. He has enough ammunition as is. No need to add to it.

"But how do you even warp reality?" Jane asks, a little desperately.

"With a good imagination?" Tony offers.

Stef snorts at that. "Like any other form of magic – with practice and patience. Any power can be controlled, it is only a matter of figuring out how. I imagine so far you have been achieving things by accident?"

Jane nods.

"Accidental magic like woe," Tony adds.

Stef ignores him. "Then you have to figure out how to harness the power you feel at moments like that and bend them to your will."

"Oh is that all?" Jane asks dryly.

"I believe I can be of some assistance as well," Vision says, "While we both have our powers from different Stones, there is a good chance that there is a similarity to them. A similar base power, as such. If they can be wielded together than they should recognize each other."

While they continue to talk, Tony picks up one of the books and begins to flip through it. It's on energy conversion and manipulation, but from a sorcerer's perspective. Hmm, interesting. He goes to the front and begins to read. Now Tony knows energy. Energy, math and physics. It has been his life basically since he could remember. So technically, he doesn't need the extra information. But it is interesting still. It walks someone through the basics and gives examples of what one can do.

Theoretically Tony should be able to do this. The Tesseract is a supplier of endless energy. That's already been established. But what kind of energy supply can't contain itself? More than that, it should be able to manipulate itself if need be. Yes, that suggests at least some form of sentience, but the Infinity Stones have those. Vision is clear on that. So if Tony has the power of the Tesseract, than this should be in the realm of possibility.

Reading one section, Tony stops for a moment and appreciates it. Just appreciates it. It makes his inner nerd sequel with joy. Because, if he wanted to, he could be the next Avatar. Elemental manipulation falls into energy manipulation and he is genuinely thrilled by this. He is so learning it. Or at least firebending. Because fire is awesome.

Rhodey always did accuse him of being somewhat of a pyro at heart. He's not wrong. Fire, explosions, anything like that is rather entertaining for Tony. It's not his fault that he likes it when things go 'Boom'. Honestly, who doesn't? Only boring people, that's who.

He continues on as they discuss the Reality Stone with Jane. He keeps half an ear open, listening for anything interesting. In a way, Tony is almost jealous. Yes energy manipulation – if he can do it – and transportation are cool. And it fits with the way his brain works. But reality warping. How awesome is that? Totally awesome, that's how. Like, really, super fucking awesome.

Of course it depends on how powerful she is. These things come in different levels. But given the source of her powers, she should definitely have a kick to them. True, maybe she can't do much now, but her change seems to be coming on more slowly. She is going to be able to grow into her powers. And once she has reached her full potential, Jane is going to be a badass. Well, more than she already is anyways.

Still, Tony knows how to admire without – much – jealousy. True, he might drive you mad asking how it works or where you got it, but that doesn't count. That is science after all. Who doesn't like to science? Barbarians and English majors, that's who. Although if you ask Tony, the are one and the same. By Einstein does he _hate_ English. Worst subject ever.

He starts paying more attention again when Rhodey asks, "And these wards will be able to contain any blasts that will happen?"

Stef sniffs, as if insulted he would even ask. "Of course they will."

"Well let's go then," he says.

"Wait, what?" Tony asks.

"You haven't heard a word we said, have you?" Rhodey asks, amused.

"Of course I have," he denies, "you were talking about the Reality Stone."

Rhodey laughs at that. "Tones, that was half an hour ago. Now is time for the practical demonstration of the lab. Stephen is going to set up some wards and you two are going to practice."

Tony blinks at that and then grins. Shutting the book, he jumps up from his seat. "Well what are we waiting for then? Let's go." He goes to the door, pushing down any nerves he might have. He has always been a hands on learner at heart. Just because he is nervous now doesn't mean it is going to stop him. They aren't from the thought of practicing, so they don't matter right now.

Besides, he distinctly remembers how he tested his first suit when he got back home. Sometimes you have to run before you can walk. Yeah, just because he isn't sure about the method he got them doesn't mean he is going to ignore them. This is going to be great.

"We _were_ waiting on you genius," Rhodey calls after him.

They go out to the backyard where Stef draws a large circle in the grass. It glows gold as he walks the perimeter of it. It's pretty cool looking itself actually. Tony is going to have to get a few books on the basics of magic, just so he can know.

Oh who is he kidding, he is going to learn as much magic as he can. It seems to be the relevant topic anymore. Best to be prepared. Of course it doesn't have anything to do with his insatiable curiosity. Of course not. Why would anyone think such a thing?

Stef steps into the center of the circle and gestures for Jane and Tony to join him."Let us begin with the basics. Anyone who wants to practice magic needs to be able to draw on their power. To do that, they need to be in touch with themselves. Reaching your core is almost always the hardest part to begin with. Sit down and make yourself comfortable."

Oh boy. Tony wants to make some remark, but figures he should save that for later. Just because this sounds like a bunch of new age crap to him doesn't mean that it is. He _is_ the expert on this after all. Best to mock him after they are done. Tony sprawls out on the ground while Jane sits with her legs crossed.

"Now imagine your power running through your veins," Stef continues once they are still, "It is not a separate thing from you, but a part of you now. Your body is the conduct. It is through that that you will direct it."

"No wands?" Tony can't help but joke.

Stef rolls his eyes, but answers all the same. "No. No wands, thank you so much for that. We don't even use them. We use sling rings. The majority need them to perform more than the most basic magic. I do not anymore. Nor will you because what you have isn't actually magic. It is something else. Something new to explore. The beginning methods just happen to be the same."

Tony nods and decided to stop poking him. For now.

"Now," Stef says, "imagine your power. See it flowing through you. Try to follow it back to your core."

So meditation then. Great. Just what Tony is good at, getting his brain to shut up. Definitely not one of his specialties. It never has been. It's so hard to get his brain to shut up, even temporarily. That's one of the reasons that he works the way he does. He can't sleep if he can't stop thinking after all. Sometimes exhaustion is the only thing that does it. It's annoying to say the least.

Then again, this isn't technically thinking of nothing. This is visualizing. He's much better at that. He thinks blue. Blue like the Tesseract. Blue like the arc reactor. It is not just in the center of his chest like it use to be. And, on a side note, thank fuck he doesn't have it anymore. And thank fuck that pain is something he can only vaguely identify with now. Forget the installation – which yes, sucked balls. But also living with it afterwards. Chronic pain is a bitch.

But none of that. He now has this power. He imagines it lighting up his blood, making him glow from the inside out. Not that he wants to be a night light. He'd never be able to sneak anywhere then. Think of how annoying that would be. Not that stealth is Tony's strong point. Rather the opposite in fact. He's no spy after all. Then again, maybe not. He can go unnoticed when he wants to. When he wants to walk the crowd unseen. Then he isn't bad at remaining invisible, so to say.

It's just that he is so use to being the center of attention. Always in the spotlight, always being watched. He has been thrust in the limelight since he was born. It is all he can remember. Even at seventeen, he was far to use too it. He knew how to play the crowd. How to charm and manipulate when needed. It was a way of life.

Ugh, no. Not what he is supposed to be thinking about either. Right. Power. Blue. Flowing through him. He can totally picture it. And follow it. Easy. He can visualize anything pretty much perfectly in his head. That's the way he creates. He sees it in his mind and then he makes it real out of it. It is also the way he does math. He does stuff like algebra and calculus in his head all the time. Sure, he can write it down if he has to. Or if he is doing a more complex project and will need to go back over things. But for something quick and simple? He doesn't bother with that. It would take more time on paper then mentally.

And there he goes again. Alright, maybe he can't visualize. Or maybe he is going about this the wrong way. He knows what his thought process is like. He knows he can never concentrate on only one thing for long. He can have seven separate trains of thought going at once. Two of those may be shoved in the back of his head, but that still lives five he is actively thinking about.

What he needs to do is prioritize his visualization while still being able to think about something else. Multiple things. Things that won't distract him too much as well. He doesn't want to accidentally switch trains of thought too much. His blue needs to be his main focus.

So what trains of thought does he need? Music is obviously the first one. He has an entire library of music stuck in his head because he listens to it so much. Star Trek is always another classic. He can quote the show forwards and backwards no problem. Drunk. Coding and various calculations can fill in the rest. He does that in his sleep now. Literally. There has been numerous times when he's woken up with a finished code or that final calculation in his head. All he needs to do it write it down. Bruce use to be endlessly amused by this.

Bruce. He wonders where he is now. He left after the whole Ultron disaster and Tony can't say he blames him. Disaster is the only word for it. He remembers being angry yet resigned when it first happened, but still understanding. Because of Johannesburg . Because the Witch set him off and then set him lose on an innocent city. Because hurting innocents is his worse fear. And then that same Witch had been invited to join the team.

Really, Tony can't for the life of him understand what Clint was thinking. Maximoff was a known mind rapist. She got a hold of them all except for him. Is that why? But she also got Natasha, who Clint is very close with. Surely that had to have meant something. Surely the mind rape in general had to have meant something. He certainly wasn't any less angry about Loki. And it wasn't as if she apologized. She switched sides because Ultron was going to kill all of humanity – including her and her brother.

Now Tony isn't saying that, if she was truly sorry, that she shouldn't get a second chance. He firmly believes in them. Once upon a time, Iron Man was his. And now, Edan is another one. He would be a hypocrite to say that she shouldn't. He might seriously question her logic in joining HYDRA. And actually believing that it was SHIELD. But if she wanted to 'wipe the red from her ledger' as Natasha once said, all the power to her.

The entire team was filled with people who got their second chance at life. They have all done things they weren't proud of. Seen too much of the world and knew how cold it was. She would have fit right in with that.

There is only one problem though. Tony doesn't think that she was sorry. He never did. He thinks that she saw an easy way out and took it. A way to escape the consequences for her actions so far. That's all. She helped them defeat Ultron because otherwise she would be dead too. And maybe, after her twin was dead, for revenge. After that? After that she was an Avenger, according to Clint. Why would she argue with that? It was her 'get out of jail free' card.

And Steve was just as bad, always backing her up. Calling her a kid. Trying to draw parallels between the two of them. It was as if she could do no wrong. He may not have seen her as perfect, but he sure did excuse all of her little 'accidents'. She was never held accountable for anything.

And she sure as hell never apologized to Tony for what she did to him. Never admitted it. And she sure never changed her mind about him being a murderer. To this day she believes that he killed her parents. Of course, that didn't mean that she had a problem spending his money. Living in the Compound he built. Taking advantage of all of his resources. Hypocrite.

Come to think of it, Tony is pretty sure she never apologized to any of them for the whole mind rape episode. He can't remember it happening if it did. He'll have to ask FRIDAY later about that.

He has to wonder if the Mind Stone messed with her more than she realized. If she always had an obsessive personality and it made it worse. Or if it took her fixation on Tony and blew it into something of massive proportions. Then again, the entire reason she joined HYDRA was to get revenge on Tony. So probably the former more than the latter.

Or maybe she was just a little unhinged to begin with and HYDRA just helped her fall off the cliff.

Now maybe Tony isn't giving her enough credit. Maybe she really is repentant and he isn't seeing it. Maybe he is bias here. But he doesn't think so. He thinks that he is exactly right and that she was using them all.

Maybe she does want to be a hero. But maybe she doesn't.

She needs some massive amounts of therapy either way. Not that Tony should talk about that. He has never been to therapy. He doesn't trust it. The temptation to sell him out is too great. Or the desire to 'fix' the great Tony Stark. Neither option is terribly attractive. Add to his trust issues and there is no way it would work well. People have screwed him over way too many times.

The point is, though, he can understand why Bruce ran. He just wished he knew where he ran off too. And if he is safe, where he is. Happy. Maybe he found a place where he doesn't have to worry anymore. Or maybe he is in trouble with no way to call for backup. Tony doesn't know and he hates not knowing.

But no. That's not the point. The point is that once again, he managed to get off topic. So much for visualizing like he is suppose to. Maybe this is going to be harder than he thought.

-xxx-

Alright, this is officially stupid, Tony thinks viciously on day three of training. Stupid. Dumb. Idiotic. A big bucket of lame sauce. That is his official, scientific opinion and he is sticking by it. Honestly, how hard can it be to find a big old powerful core inside of you? It shouldn't be. Tony is a genius after all. He should have had it by now.

But he doesn't. Try as he might, he's not making any progress. Sure Stef said this was supposed to be one of the hardest parts, but this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. No matter what Stef and Rhodey and Darcy and, well. No matter what everyone is trying to tell him, about taking time and not rushing and all that bull shit, it isn't true. It shouldn't be. Not for him.

Stark men are not failures. He's been told that enough times. He is a genius. So why isn't he getting it? He should be. He absolutely should be. _Stark men are not failures_.

His only consolation is that Jane hasn't had any more luck than he has.

Not that practice is the only thing that Tony needs to do either. He still has a company to run, for one thing. Pep is doing a spectacular job as always, but he is still head of R&D and majority shareholder. His name change doesn't mean that that is any different. He needs to complete the newest upgrades for both the StarkPhone and the StarkPad.

Darcy is doing a fantastic job on keeping him up to date on everything. She likes to joke because it is because she is so use to managing Jane for so long. Jane just rolls her eyes when she hears. But it is true. Tony is super glad that she accepted his offer to be his PA. He knows he can be a handful at times, making the job stressful. But Darcy just goes with the flow.

It is a completely different style than Pepper had. Not that this is him dismissing Pepper or anything. Lovelace knows how she put up with him for so long. How she still does it now. She is truly a saint. But Darcy has her own style and it works surprisingly well. Tony doesn't feel nearly as harassed when he has to go do something boring he'd rather not do.

And this means he doesn't have to remember half the things he had to before. True, this means he can't accidentally 'forget' a board meeting or a gala, but it evens out fine. Darcy sometimes lets him get away with things that Pep never would. Thus, a solid hiring choice.

Also tying into that, he needs to talk to Shuri about the details of their newest alliance. That is fun.

"You realize of course that you are going to need to write the contract for my CEO to sign, not just me right?" he asks her via video chat. "Miss Potts is going to want to look over it and maybe have some changes as well."

Shuri nods. "Of course I do. I know who the CEO of Stark Industries is. I'm surprised you didn't step up to the position."

"Why fix something that isn't broken?" Tony shrugs. "Maybe if I really wanted it, I could have made myself co-CEO. But I wouldn't replace Miss Potts after all of the good she has done. That would make me an idiot on several levels and I always try to avoid that. Why are you surprised anyways? I thought a fellow engineer like yourself would understand the desire to keep creating, not deal with paperwork."

"I may never have been out of Wakanda, but T'Challa has. He says that women are not considered equal out there. As if they are lesser just because they do not have a dick or some such nonsense like that."

Tony can't help but laugh at that. Reason number fifteen why he loves Shuri right there. "I'm not going to say that it isn't true. Women do have a harder time at... pretty much everything that isn't considered feminine. But Dad made her CEO for a reason. She absolutely deserves it and she is able to hold her own with all the dickheads who think she shouldn't have the position. Or think she only got it because she had a bunch of good sex with Dad." He pulls a face at that. As if he would ever hire someone on their sex skills. Morons. Pepper is extra vicious with them. Tony approves.

"Good," Shuri nods, "Now about the contract. Wakanda International is going to be mainly focused on environmental improvements right now. Apparently the rest of the world is suppose to be disgusting. Relief work is going to be Nakia while I'm in charge of science."

"Wakanda International huh? Finally decided on a name then?"

Shuri nods. "All I needed was to make the right argument to T'Challa and he was happy to agree with me," she says sweetly.

Tony snorts. As if that doesn't sound suspicious at all. He wonders what she blackmailed him with. Ah, the joys of siblings. Glad he never had one. "Of course. And you aren't planning on sticking to environmental science, are you?" Tony says dryly.

"Of course not. What would be the fun in that? The first thing I am going to do is show what a _real_ hoverboard is, not those wheeled abominations."

"They are terrible," Tony agrees with a snicker. "You realize that once you do, every kid is going to want one. Hell, everyone is going to want one. The US isn't exactly set up for that kind of air travel yet."

Shuri waves him off. "It will be fine. T'Challa hasn't approved them for sale yet anyways."

"So does this mean that you are finally going to explain the many uses of vibranium? Because I'm sorry, but there is no way what Claw stole was the last of it. I saw King Kitty's suit. That is no ordinary reinforcement."

"Isn't it beautiful?" Shuri asks with a proud grin.

"You are a remarkable engineer," Tony says with real enthusiasm, "That's why I want to learn. I'm willing to trade quite a bit to be able to understand. There are limits of course," he adds, "but it is amazing what it can do and I know I haven't even seen a fraction of it." Plus they are going to need it, he can't help but add in his head. The upcoming fight could be that much easier if they had more advance equipment. Not that his isn't, but vibranium is something else. Even he isn't arrogant enough to think that.

Shuri grins. "This is going to be fun. Knowledge for knowledge. I will not ask for something outrageous like, say, the Iron Defender specs. Wakanda may be more advance because of its vibranium, but that does not mean there are not other ways of looking at problems."

That is even better than Tony had hoped. What she just asked for was several nerding out sessions where they get to play. How can he say no to that? "What's your stance on distributing vibranium?" he asks because he has to.

"That is going to be kept at a minimum for now. It is mainly going to be used in the technology we are going to have available. But should you have reason enough, I am willing to consider giving you some for a project – for a price though."

"Naturally," Tony says. Once again, this is even better than he had hoped. "What would you say if it would be used for protection and offensive strikes against an alien army?" he asks tentatively.

"You mean the army you have talked about in your interviews?" she asks, "What makes you think that they are coming back?"

"You don't believe me?" Oh this is potentially bad. He was hoping to be able to convince them to help him. Even a little would help, although more would be great.

"More like I would like to hear your reasoning," she says in reply, "I will not lie and say I have not heard some grumbling about this around a certain group. I am not saying that I believe them, but I am curious. You are leaving something out, aren't you?"

"Sorry," Tony gives her a charming smile, "I don't give out that kind of information before the first date." He ignores her laugh at that. " As to my reasoning, I assume you have watched the video recorded from space?"

She nods. "Yes. I can see why someone would freak out over that."

Freak out. Super. Hopefully that is a good sign and not a dismissal. "Do you really think that an army that size, who has already shown interest in us, isn't going to come back?"

"And?" Shuri asks.

"And Dad always said he felt something up there. Something powerful. And that something lost to a handful of mortals. It'll be back to finish the job. And by now Doctor Strange, our Sorcerer Supreme, has confirmed that there our whispers of this someone moving. We do not have a name yet, but we know they are out there. And they will come to Earth, whether we like it or not."

"Why Earth?" she asks next.

"Tell me Princess, have you ever heard of the Infinity Stones?"

She frowns. "What are those?" '

"Six Stones of immense power that can control the basic properties of the universe."

Shuri stares thoughtfully at him for a long moment. And then she smiles. "Tell me Stark, how does SI feel about having a combined space program with WI?"

Tony grins. "That sounds delightful. When does WI feel that they can begin?"

"I am going to be in California soon getting ready for the grand opening of the Center. I will let you know the dates when they are official."

"Great. Are you going to have a lab ready to work with there? Or should you join me here at the Compound?"

"I will have a lab ready to work with vibranium. It will be the fastest way to get the information we need."

Tony grins excitedly. This is going to be awesome. Not only does he now have an important ally, he has someone else to play with. Someone else who, from what he has heard, is likely smarter than him. He can't wait.

"I will have our contract ready by then as well," she adds.

"Sounds good. I'll forward it to Miss Potts once you do. He pauses, thinking of the best way to ask his next question.

"What is it?"

"You said that you had been hearing mutterings from a certain group. I cannot help wondering just how they are doing. Not so much in concern for them," he admits, "but for everyone else. They are contained there, if not in the way the rest of the world would like."

Shuri frowns. "I do not interact with them much. Honestly, I do not want to. I find some of them ignorant and the others willfully blind. Maybe they have good reasons to be such, but it is still annoying. They are not allowed in my lab in any case and I spend much time in there. Mr Rogers especially has a tendency to mope when White Wolf is not around."

" _Mr_ Rogers?" Tony asks, "And White Wolf?" Well, well. Isn't that terribly interesting.

"I do not believe that Mr Rogers currently deserves his title of Captain, given the way he is behaving. A Captain is suppose to look after his troops and protect them – all of them. He should not prioritize one life over another. And he should not leave any behind if he cannot help it."

Tony can't help but feel a bit gleeful about what she is saying. That she has a problem with Rogers for basically the same reasons that Tony does is a relief to hear. And some sweet validation as well. Yes, his friends agree with him. But they are just that, his friends. Of course they are going to stick by Tony in this. But here is Shuri, a person who has no reason to agree with Tony, who is saying the same things Tony thinks. It feels good.

So he is still bitter. So what? He's allowed to be.

"As for White Wolf, T'Challa has all but adopted Barnes at this point. I expect that there will be an official ceremony within the year with the way things are going. The children call him White Wolf and he seems to like the name. It holds much more value than the Winter Soldier ever will."

"And he's doing well then still?"

Shuri nods. "He is. Wakanda is good for him," she stops and hesitates, as if thinking about something before going on ahead, "I am in the process of convincing him to come with me. The two of you could meet, if you wanted."

The is the last thing Tony had been expecting her to say. Honestly, he thought maybe she would offer to pass on a message or something. But meeting Barnes. Does he want to, after the last time? True, it was a disaster, but then again, everything was at that point. The question is, can he stand to see his parent's murderer. No, the real question he, now that he has had some time and a whole lot of distance, still blame Barnes?

No. No he doesn't. The man was brainwashed for seventy years. He can't be blamed for something that he had no control over. That is hardly fair. Then again, life isn't fair, but this is something that doesn't have to be unjust. He nods. "If he wants to talk with me, sure," he agrees.

"I will let him know."

"Have you designed him a new arm yet?" he asks next. "Because I have the old one still and to be honest, it's a fucking nightmare. Advance for it's time, sure, but it had to be at rue horror to wear."

She grins smugly. "Of course I have. I have even managed to tweak it so that he has as much feeling in it as a normal are. Stronger of course, but lighter and more durable. Except for the fact that it is metal, there is nothing different between it and his original arm."

Tony has to stop himself from drooling. That... that sounds amazing. Even he hadn't been able to work up to that point yet and he had been trying. It was something to tinker with in his free time. "Any chance I could see the specs for _that_?" he asks excitedly, "Are you going to release them? This could revolutionize the entire prosthetic industry!" Babbage, he can only imagine.

Shuri laughs at that. "Nakia said the same thing actually. I think you would like her."

"And I think you will like Pepper when you meet her. She's a total badass."

She grins. "I will let you know the dates as soon as I do then."

Tony nods. "Right. I look forward to it. See you soon Q."

"Bye Stark," she says and then hangs up.

Oh yes, this is going to be fun. And helpful. He can't deny that he is wholly relieved to have at least Shuri on his side, if not Wakanda as a whole. He doesn't need the entire country, he just needs some help, adding to his resources. The more he has, the better chance he gets. The better chance _all of them_ have.

Another call he makes is to Professor Xavier and the X-Men. It turns out to be an interesting conversation. Of course he agrees to help with any global disaster that might occur. They can either fight on their own or assist the Marvels. No, what is really interesting is what comes next.

"You might want to talk to Erik as well," Xavier adds before they end their conversation.

"Magneto?" Tony asks, just to make sure they are thinking of the right person. Xavier wants him to ask _Magneto_ to help them. The man who hates humans and wants them all dead or lesser than mutants. That Magneto?

Xavier must read that on his face because he shakes his head. "It is a threat to mutants as well. I am not saying he will do so gracefully. Nor will he want to work with any other group. But if Earth is at stake, he will try to save it as well as anyone else. Although it might be best not to mention this to anyone. They might get the wrong idea. Heaven forbid someone ask Erik what he thinks about the Accords," he shakes his head.

And wow, does he sound a little too fond about someone who is supposed to be his number one nemesis. He so does not want to know. So he just nods instead. "What are the X-Men's take on it?" he asks. Because it can't hurt at this point.

"Most are waiting to see. It is a good idea in theory, but we have been burned before on legislation similar to this. No one wants to take the chance of being rounded up and taken prisoner. That is undoubtedly how Erik sees it. Registration is the first step, as he has said before."

Tony blinks at that. "Wait, he was alive during World War Two then?"

"He was a Jew during World War Two," Xavier answers gravely.

Oh. Oh shit. Tony never knew that. It would explain a lot about the man then. Not that it justifies any of his actions now. But to survive something like that...

"Again, I would ask you not to spread it around. It is a time Erik would like to forget, although he never will."

"Right. Yeah, no problem," Tony promises, "Thanks for this."

"It is no trouble. Please let me know when you have more information."

"Right," Tony repeats, "Bye." He hangs up and sits back in his chair to think. 'Registration is always the first step'. God, he is a fucking moron. Between the War and HYDRA, no wonder Rogers was in such a twist about the Accords. And he knew that back then. But at the time he couldn't really appreciate it. He was too busy worrying about everything else. But for Rogers, who would remember all of this vividly, it would have to have seemed like history was repeating itself. No wonder he didn't want anything to do with them.

Not that it excuses him. Tony still thinks he was an idiot and a hypocrite besides. That doesn't change that. And he is still pissed as hell at him. There has been one too many lines crossed for him to forgive and forget, even if Tony was good at letting things go, which he isn't. Not in the least. And some things are going too far in any case. But it also gives him a new perspective on it. If he ever has to deal with Rogers again, he'll have to keep that in mind.

Not that he wants to either. Barnes is one thing. Captain Hypocrite is quite another. He pushes the thought aside for now. No use worrying about spilled milk after all. Or counting his eggs before he has them. More like dreading them in this case, but it still holds. He has other things to do.

One of those things is team training. Just because things went well with the Furbies doesn't mean that they don't need the practice. Trying to get them all together can be a bit complicated. Stef has other responsibilities, Tony still has SI and Peter obviously has school. Rhodey and Vision are the only ones with a lot of free time right now. He expects that is going to change now that Rhodey is ready for action again. The army hadn't honorably discharged him yet. Maybe they were waiting to see if Tony did something like this. No need to lose one of their best assets if Tony was going to be able to heal him.

Jane is all nerves and restlessness, thinking about when she will be able to fight. Because she has decided that she is going to fight, when she can. She is going to be a Marvel. So is Darcy. She'll have to have some kind of protective suit and weapons of course, but she says she wants to. She is determined to be Jane's sidekick. It's kind of adorable. He wonders if Shuri might be willing to give him some vibranium for this. Because he would feel better if she was outfitted with the best. And vibranium is the strongest metal. Or maybe adamantium is. There's this debate and people keep changing the way it is made, so who knows. He has never been able to test it for himself. So maybe he will get some adamantium instead... Something to think about.

That means that they need to be trained in hand to hand. Or Darcy does, at the very least. She is going to be the one without any special enhancements after all. And really, it can't hurt of Jane to know either. So that gets added on the things they need to work on. Tony and Peter are fine teaching them for now, but eventually they are going to need to get better teachers.

This is also how they find out the Jane has some physical enhancements as well. Nothing major, not like Tony or anything. He is pretty sure that they are coming on slowly, like her Reality Warping. Once she is at full power, she will likely be at Rogers level. No where near god level, but also nothing to scoff at either.

Fortunately nothing big has happened since then. There have been a couple of things – Stef had been asked to help with a fire that had almost leveled a block of apartments, Tony and Peter have gone out to deal with a couple low level villains of the week. Small stuff like that. Personally he isn't complaining. Yes it can make for a boring time, but the big stuff will come soon enough. No need to rush it yet.

And really, it's for the best as well because all of the Accord issues still haven't been dealt with yet. They are at an impasse right now. Tony supports them, but won't do anything as long as Ross has the power to fuck things up again. The Council are making improvements and changes, but everyone is too leery of them right now to sign.

Something is going to have to break soon. Tony can only hope that it breaks in their favor. The last thing he wants to do is work with Ross again. He really does hate that guy. He even manages to surpass Tony's level of assholeness, which is an impressive feat in and of itself.

Councilwoman Rosewater is still a blessing through it all though. She has been keeping him updated on everything he needs to know. Tony, in turn, is sure to keep her informed on what the Marvels are doing when needed.

Truth to tell, it is rather frustrating.

Another frustrating thing is his lack of progress on accessing his powers. Jane has managed it by now. Well, he says managed. She is having some minor degree of success. And by that Tony means that she keeps on making the air around her combust of all things. Why? They have no idea. Explosions aren't exactly her thing, but it keeps happening. Not that that isn't great news for her or anything, but still. He's not going to lie and say that he isn't jealous.

He doesn't say anything, but the others can tell how irritated he is becoming over this. They keep trying to distract and encourage by turns. If he hears the phrase 'Rome wasn't built in a day' one more time he just might scream. They mean well of course, but it's not really helping. It only rubs the problem in more.

Rhodey has taken to aggressively cuddling him on the couch and telling him that there is nothing wrong with him. He isn't a failure. Because he knows all about Tony's issues. And what a piss pot Howard was. They only met once and it did not end well. Rhodey has always hated him. It's nice.

Peter, the dear heart, has taken to telling him all the embarrassing stories from when he was first getting use to his powers. Well, he says that as if it isn't happening anymore. It still is. To be expected when you are fifteen. Your body is changing enough without adding superpowers to it. Puberty is a real bitch like that. He seems to think that it helps, show him that there is an adjustment period for everyone. Too bad it isn't the same. Not really.

Tony isn't having any trouble dealing with his physical enhancements. Well, not compared to the other part of his powers anyways. Sure, there are a few bugs. Some broken punching bags here and there. An unexpected stumble. But overall it is going well. He has found his max out weight, but only when the others were busy with something else. That wasn't something he wanted an audience watching. The last thing he needs is to be accidentally crushed by something because it was more than he could handle. Rhodey would never let him hear the end of it if he did.

It ends up being roughly 50 tons which is enough to just blow his mind. That's definitely in the god range alright. It's almost unbelievable to him. Sure, he knew this before. But to actually do it for himself. Well. It's a rush, that's for sure. It makes him grin ridiculously big. Yeah, no one is ever going to take him down and leave him defenseless again.

One fun thing is that he and Peter have taken to sparring each other. They don't have to hold back with each other, although Tony does have to remember that he is stronger. But that doesn't matter so much with the way Peter moves. It is good practice for him to fight out of the suit. He never did with the Avengers, although that wasn't because he couldn't fight like all of them assumed. No, it was because he was always leery about it.

He was the only true squishy human on the team. True, technically speaking, Romanoff and Barton should have been in the category, but they weren't. Romanov is a master assassin and has been through massive and massively inhuman training since she was a child. She isn't a Black Widow for nothing. Barton, however normal he may seem, isn't. Just because he prefers to be on high ground with his bow doesn't mean that he can't fight. And fight well. He had always been cagey about his past, but Tony had heard rumors about some assassin work as well.

That leaves Tony, the man in a can, as Barton so jokingly put it. The weakest link in the chain. They never said it, but sometimes, if Tony caught their eye at the right time, he saw it. Their eyes said what their mouths didn't. He was the weakest. The one who needed tech to survive. The one who was best at funding and providing, not fighting. He ignored it then, but part of him didn't. He never got in the ring with them without his suit. Just in case.

Now he and Peter can have a great time, going at it. There is no pressure and the competition is all friendly. There's no chance anyone is going to see him as lesser if he loses. He didn't realize just how much instinct was holding him back from the Avengers until now. The weight is gone and he feels safe to be himself. What an amazing concept right?

And he doesn't win all of their matches either. Peter is more use to hand to hand than Tony is. While fighting in the suit and outside of it isn't that different, there are still some changes that he has to get use to. Plus he is usually air support. He would fight on the ground only if he had been grounded. And then he had more mass to think about. The suit isn't bulky per se, but it is a lot of metal to move. It isn't weightless, even when it is running.

He had been strong, even before this. He had to be. The Iron Man suit required a certain amount of muscle to be able to use it. Something else the Avengers never seemed to understand. The suit didn't do all of the work. Tony did.

But they are gone now and there is no reason for Tony to be thinking about them. Now he has happier things to think about. People who actually seem to care about him, not just what he can do for them. It is still a novelty.

"You sure you can keep up?" Peter asks as he swings out of the way.

Today's spar includes Peter's web shooters and Tony's wrist gauntlets. Because why not. They have to keep things interesting, don't they? Wouldn't want to be boring after all. Oh the horror.

"I should be asking you that underoo," Tony says as he twists of of the way of a web, shooting at the one Peter is swinging on.

"What? Why? I'm the young and spry one here." Peter grins cheekily, avoiding him.

"Oh boy, two whole years. Yeah kid you're right. I'm really robbing the cradle here." And maybe, at the beginning of all of this, he would have cringed at the thought. Thought that, maybe, in a way, it's kind of true. He's been de-aged, yeah, but how much of that counts? Just the usual, his brain making trouble for himself when there is none.

But now, the longer he lives this new start, the more he feels as if it is real. As if he really is Edan, not Tony, Sure, he still goes by Tony, but he can't help compare the two. And Edan, more and more, is coming up on top. But now is not the time to think about this either. Time to kick ass.

"Then again, what does that say about you?" he asks. Tony moves in close, trying to grab him.

Peter shrugs as he does a perfect backflip, almost kicking him in the face. "Stranger danger?"

Tony snorts and tackles him. Really, that is the only correct response for that. They end up wrestling, rolling on the ground.

"Pinned you," Peter says as he grins down at Tony.

"Oh yeah?" Tony flips them and they begin again. Admittedly he isn't trying very hard right now to win. He's more messing around than anything. Which is why Peter ends up on top of him again.

"Pinned you again." Peter sounds far too proud of this.

Tony rolls his eyes. "Yeah, alright Nala," he jokes, "Do I get my kiss now?"

The answer to that question is yes. Yes he does. He gets several kisses in fact. It is nice. It is also typical teenage behavior. Tony loves it. He briefly thinks about making a sex joke here. The situation is practically begging for it after all. But he doesn't. Surprisingly enough, he doesn't want to take it there. Something else he has found, sex seems less important now then this real and fulfilling relationship he has. Which is odd, considering all of the sex he had at MIT. He is a playboy for a reason. For two years, he has had a healthy sex life. Some might say a little _too_ healthy.

But now, even though what he's coming out of, technically speaking, he doesn't feel the need for it. Sure, he still has all the hormones and stuff, but... It just isn't. And if he gets the itch, his own hand is enough. It's weird frankly.

Still, that means that he and Peter can make out on the floor like this without Tony automatically wanting to take it to the next level. It can only be a good thing because Peter doesn't seem ready for that. And the last thing Tony would want to do is push him into something he might regret. That's not cool. That's the complete opposite in fact. Enthusiastic consent or nothing at all.

They pull apart though when Tony's stomach gives a loud growl. Because he's hungry after this. As if that is some kind of sign, Peter's stomach gives a particularly loud growl next.

Tony snickers at that.

Peter blushes. "Oh shut up. Like you are any better."

"Never said I was Peter Rabbit. Come on, let's get some food before you fade into nothing."

Peter gets up and offers Tony a hand. "Don't you mean, before _you_ fade into nothing?"

"I'm not the one with the bottomless pit stomach. It's a gift to all teenagers after all." Tony takes it and laces their fingers together. He can't help but hum 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' under his breath. It all feels way more innocent than he is use to. But it's nice. Good. He wouldn't change it for anything.

"Who was it that reminded me there are only two years between us?" Peter asks as he swings their joined hands between them. "You still count."

Tony hums in agreement. "Jarvis always said that it was a good thing that Howard was so rich, otherwise I would have eaten us out of house and home. He liked to exaggerate things just a bit when it came to me." He remembers it all fondly. He loves Jarvis dearly. It still sucks ass that he is dead now. Tony is never going to hear that posh English accent scolding him to clean up his mess again. Or praise him whenever he showed off his latest invention. Or tuck him in at night. Damn, but does he miss him.

"Jarvis?" Peter asks, drawing him out of it, "who is that?"

Tony is glad that Peter decided not to ask just why he said Howard and not Dad or Father. That is a conversation for another time. Oh, about never. The last thing he wants to do is explain that little detail. But Jarvis, Jarvis is good. He smiles. "He was my childhood butler."

"You had a butler?!" Peter asks incredulously.

Tony snorts. "Don't sound so surprised. I was a young rich brat. I was the son of Howard Stark, the rising leader in the weapon industries and resident genius. Of course I had a butler as a kid."

"You sound like you really liked him."

"Yeah," Tony says with a sigh, "I do. I wish he could have met you. He would have loved you. Someone else to mother hen all over."

Peter gives his hand a squeeze. "He sounds good."

"He was. Oh boy, was he ever. One time," Tony ends up telling Peter all of the fun childhood stories he has about Jarvis. Which is quite a few, considering he was the main adult in Tony's life. It's just the two of them for lunch, which makes it even nicer. Like a date. Tony feels bad that they haven't really gotten around to many dates so far. They've been so busy with everything else, but it doesn't really seem fair to Peter. He is in a relationship with Tony, he deserves all the bells and whistles that come with it.

Not anything fancy of course. He knows that isn't exactly Peter's style. And the point is for him to have fun. For both of them too. So something low key. Something they won't be recognized for.

Which is another problem they have to work around. It's one thing for Edan Stark to turn up at Peter's school to pick him up. It is another thing to be seen on a date with him. That would put Peter in the spotlight far too much. Not only could that make him a target to be used against Tony, that could put is identity as Spider-Man at risk. It is a secret identity for a reason. The world doesn't know and it doesn't have to know. Also, since Peter is a minor and Tony is 'legal age', that could call some things into question as well. Things neither of them are going to want to deal with.

So yes, there are reasons that they haven't been on many dates. Good reasons even. But that doesn't mean that it is fair to Peter. Tony is going to have to do something about it soon.

One thing, it does a good job of distracting him from his frustration. Unfortunately, it's not for long enough. Just until the next time he practices.

Finally Stef has had enough and takes matters into his own hands. "Alright, so we might be going about this the wrong way. Your brain is obviously getting in the way of things. So I am going to try a method that removes that problem from the equation."

"Oh yeah?" Tony asks, arms crossed as he stands in the middle of the ward circle, "And what is that?"

"We are going to work on your teleportation skills like this," Stef answers and then shoves Tony through a portal into the snow.

"What the fuck?!" he asks, but the portal is already gone. One look around tells Tony that he is on a mountain top somewhere. In the cold. In the snow. Dressed for summer. A violent chill runs up his spine. "I am going to kill him," he says darkly. That is, if this doesn't kill him first. Not that he is going to let it. He is so damn lucky though that he no longer has panic attacks about his past because this would throw him back to Siberia in an instant.

Right. Teleportation. He now has to if he doesn't want to become a Popsicle. How did they do it in Harry Potter now? Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. Right. The Compound. He wants to get back to the Compound so that he can kill one of his former best friends. Should be easy enough right? Part if him feels ridiculous about trying to use a method from a children's book, but the rest of him doesn't care. Nothing else has worked, has it?

So he pictures the Compound. He pictures the circle. He pictures right where he and Stef was standing before he got pushed into this place. He thinks about how much he wants to get back. About how much he wants to get out of this damn cold. About how much he _really_ wants to go home. And about how much he wants all of his body parts to come with him. Somehow, he doesn't think splinching is going to be as easy to fix in real life as in the movie. So focus. He can do this. There is a pull in his chest. He can do this. The feeling of power grows and spreads. He can-

"Took you long enough," Stef says.

Tony glares at him.

Stef holds up a hand in surrender. "Don't blame me. This is the exact way I was taught at first when I was having trouble. After that I could access my power easily. It should be the same for you."

"Oh really?" Tony asks, tilting his head in thought.

"No. Whatever you are thinking, _no_ ," Stef says, "It worked didn't it? And I would have retrieved you if you had been gone for too long. It wasn't as if you were in any real danger."

Tony finishes that thought and nods. "You're right Charms. Now lets see if this works." He flicks a wrist and sends Stef away. He is gone in a blink of an eye. Oh look, he was right. It does work so much easier now. A slightly manic grin spreads across his face. He casually puts his hands in his pockets and waits.

A portal appears and Stef steps out, looking oh so slightly singed. "What was _that_?" he asks angrily.

Tony shrugs. "Don't worry about it, you were never in any _real_ danger," he mocks.

"You just dropped me into an active volcano!" Stef shouts.

Tony looks back at him innocently. "Yeah, but you have Levi and you can portal just fine. It all worked out, didn't it?"

Stef growls at him. "I hate you."

"Aw, thanks sweet pea, love you too." He bats his eyelashes.

"Fine, I won't use that method again. Happy?" Stef certainly doesn't look it.

"Ecstatic," Tony deadpans, "Hey, just look at it this way, it could have been worse."

"I would ask, but I am afraid of what that crazy mind of yours would come up with." Stef rolls his eyes, overly obvious, at him. "It's always best not to give you ideas."

"Aw Snape, don't be such a party pooper about it."

"Why do I put up with you again?" Stef asks, looking upwards as if the answer is written in the sky somewhere.

"Because you love me of course."

"Hmm, debatable."

Tony sticks his tongue out at him and goes back to the Compound to celebrate. Yes, he can now use this power. Awesome. But that doesn't mean that Stef gets to see how excited he is. Because he is a meany pants. And no need to give him anymore ideas. Or make him smug about it. Nope. Not today. Today Tony is happy because finally, progress. He is a genius baby, born and raised.

-xxx-

A couple of days later, Tony learns that he is right. Wong had no idea that Stef took all of these books out of the library. How? Because he opens a portal right in the room and steps through, looking rather unimpressed.

"There is a check out limit," he says to an innocent looking Stef.

"What? There never was before," Stef complains.

"Well there is now."

Tony can't help but laugh into the book he is reading. This really is interesting when you get into it. Not just energy manipulation, which is what he is currently reading, but everything about magic. There is just so much of it to learn and so many ways you can use it. It's like a new branch of science that he never knew existed. And this is just the beginning because this is just Earth magic. Imagine all the other types out there, just waiting for someone to learn them. Yeah, he's enjoying himself.

Wong sends a look his way, but doesn't say anything. He turns back to Stef instead. "Go do your job," he says with a clear dismissal, "I will make sure that the books are returned to their proper place."

Stef grumbles, but does, opening a portal and stepping through.

Now that Tony is getting the hang of it, he can see why they all use them so much. Being able to portal in and out is so convenient. And it cuts down on so much travel time. Theoretically Tony would never have to fly anywhere again. Too bad he can't because that would mean people knowing about this. Not a very comfortable thought. Still, it's nice to dream. Flying in the armour is one thing. He likes that. Flying in his jet is another, no matter how comfortable it is.

Wong sits down, but doesn't say anything at first. He just looks at Tony. Then, without any preamble he announces, "There is no such thing as a de-aging spell."

Tony blinks at that. What? What in the world is he talking about?

"Stephen is not as subtle as he thinks he is. Recently he has been asking about de-aging spells. An interesting timing that. But there is no such thing. Not a permanent one. The mind is not made for it. There are ways to temporarily de-age the body, but it eventually wears off. There is no way to permanently cheat death."

Tony blinks again at that. "What?" he asks, horribly confused. Of course there is such a thing, he is sitting right here isn't he?

"I do not know what happen to you. I do know however, that it is impossible to take that many years off of a person's life. Magic is not the fix all people assume it is. There are rules and regulations, just like anything else. Not cheating death is a top one. Whatever happened to you, de-aging is a side effect, not a cause."

"Not even with other magic?" Tony asks, frowning, "Like Asgardian for example." Alright, so that's not exactly subtle either. But Wong already knows part of it. No need to beat around the bush here. That would mean a delay in answers. And Tony really wants some answers right now.

Wong shakes his head. "Asgardian magic is not my specialty. However, that does not mean I do not know some. It should not be possible using their form of magic either. It is true that there are differences, but not that many. They are not an immortal race, to never embrace death. They are simply longer lived."

This keeps getting more and more interesting. "In other words, you have no idea how I am sitting here, do you?"

"Not a clue," Wong admits, "It would seem that you are an anomaly Mr Stark."

Just like the rest of Tony's life then. Nothing new there, really. He has always been different. Always stood apart, in some way. Really, learning this, it isn't anything new. Just another day in the life. "Please, call me Edan," he says.

Wong smiles. "Edan," he says. Then he takes a glance at what he is reading and begins talking. Teaching, actually. It turns out he is a fantastic teacher. He explains the material well and doesn't make Tony feel like an idiot when he is constantly bringing science into it. Nor does he dumb it down, as if he is talking to a kid.

They spend the rest of the afternoon and into evening talking about what is likely possible that he could do, what is likely and what his limits might look like. He ends up explaining just how he ended up the way he is. Wong doesn't have an answer as to the how anymore than anyone else did. But he also added layers to his advice. He's been studying all he can about the Infinity Stones for years now. Turns out he recognized the Space Stone way back at the Battle of New York and has been researching since. And of course he already knew about the Time Stone, since the Sanctum is the one that guards it.

Tony learns a lot that day. When Wong leaves, he lets Tony keep a few books and tells him to get in touch if he has any questions. Stef always said how serious he is. And that's true. What he never said is just how much knowledge he has stored inside of his head. It's pretty impressive.

That night, Tony lays out in the grass, alone this time, thinking about what Wong said. There is no such thing as a permanent de-aging spell. What he was pondering during his and Peter's spar comes back to him then. How he feels more like Edan, the more time that passes since this all happened. As if this new start is literally just that – a new start. A new person. And isn't he? Earlier he had asked FRIDAY to scan his fingerprints, just to see. Call it both a hunch and a curiosity. They are different.

What a small, stupid detail to get him out of his head like this. But they are different now. They really are Edan Stark's, not Tony Stark's. Sure, FRIDAY had already added the scans when she was first compiling his new identity, but she never said anything. Why should she? While she is learning and learning well, she is still young. She wouldn't have known that this is something Tony would definitely want to know.

He stares up at the stars, watching them shine down. It's such a small detail, fingerprints. Something no one ever thinks about. But each one is unique. That's why they are used to identify people in the first place – no two are the same. And they aren't something that can change. But Tony's have. For some inexplicable reason, his have. Just another part of this whole mystery. Honestly, he's getting kind of sick of finding all of these hidden surprises. It's getting a little ridiculous at this point.

Maybe this means that Edan isn't the cover everyone thinks it is. Maybe it means that Edan is real and Tony Stark was just a past life now. Gone, never to return. Not that he could have before, but it seems even more permanent now. The final nail in the coffin. A bit dramatic maybe, but he always has been. That's just the way he is.

So maybe he is similar to the old Tony Stark, but now he is a new and improved version. He had thought that, for a while. But now it seems as if he is his own person to begin with. Which also sounds kind of dumb when you think about it. He's not an alternate version of Tony Stark. He's not some kind of clone or anything like that. He is still Tony, just different. His past is the same. His intelligence and knowledge hasn't changed. His humor, his sarcasm and snark, his sense of self is still there.

What it really comes down to is that his head self has changed. Mentally, he is in just a different place now than when he was originally seventeen. Part of him wonders how that is possible. It really shouldn't be. Sure, he has memories of his past now. But those don't really affect him anymore. They're just something that he knows. Nothing that truly registers on an emotional level, except for the stuff that ticks him off – like the Avengers. But everything else? No. Not even his kidnapping in Afghanistan or flying a nuke into space.

It's weird, it's probably a little fucked up and Tony can't help but wonder if it isn't because of what happen to him. He is seventeen again. He isn't human anymore. His fingerprints have changed. That is head space might have been messed with isn't out of the realm of possibility. Not much, mind you. Not enough to change him. But enough to keep his mindset from when he was forty six, not seventeen. Or something close to that at least. It's as good a guess as anything else Tony might think of. And maybe that should bother him, but it doesn't. And that just might be the best proof of all.

But really, does it matter what name he goes by now? A rose by any other name is still as sweet. Or something like that. Shakespeare isn't really his forte. As long as he is comfortable with being called Tony, that's all that matters. Tony Stark might be an icon and Edan Stark is doing a good job of becoming one, but that doesn't mean that should define him. He has lived like that before. It's confining, in a way. Limiting, when Tony hates limits.

No more. He is who he is and that's it. If other people don't like it, too bad. He is done catering to the masses who would martyr him anyways. Always build him up and tear him down.

Eventually he gets up and goes back to the Compound to get some more work done.

-xxx-

Three days later and Tony has the perfect date all planned out. It may not be the the most romantic idea in the world. Nor is there anything traditional about it. But Tony thinks it's a great idea. Peter should have a great time and he hasn't done this in years. Ice skating.

He wants to take Peter to the local ring and unleash him on the unsuspecting. Either he is going to be amazing at it because of his side job as part spider or he is going to be terrible because he can be a bit clumsy at times. Either way it should be fun. Tony himself knows how to skate because that was one of the things he did at MIT, strangely enough. It's one of those useless skills he picked up.

Skating was one of the ways he destressed. It wasn't all parties in booze at first. The Stark name doesn't mean much when your fifteen and nerdy among a bunch of semi adults who like to think that they are above that. So, ice skating. There had been a rink that had been open all night for some odd reason. Well, because it was a college town and who knew when college kids ever slept. But it worked to Tony's advantage so he hadn't complained. That he was the only one there at three in the morning made it even better.

He learned to fly around the rink. He learned to jump and to twirl and do all the other fancy tricks. Yes, the number of times he ended up on his face or ass were innumerable. He's pretty sure that was how the employees at the time got their kicks. As if there was anything else to do then. But he was persistent. Too stubborn for his own good, that's what Rhodey use to say. Come to think of it, he still does.

All that hard work paid off eventually. Tony is very good at it. But that wasn't the point back then. The point was to lose himself for a little while. It was one of the first random activities he learned to help him burn calories and get him out of his head. Best of all, either they never recognized him or they did and never said anything. So he never had to be Tony Stark there. He could just be Tony.

So now he wants to take Peter. He thinks it will be fun. And even if someone does recognize him, this isn't something that screams date. They should be fine. Not that anyone should. With a beanies on his head and big, fake glasses, Tony is just another face in the crowd. He can pull off the hipster look surprisingly well. He knows because he's done it before.

Peter shows up after school, practically bouncing with excitement. He is dressed in his usual jeans and shirt with a terrible science joke on it. His backpack had been thrown on the couch as if it was a diseased animal when he entered the room. He starts talking and honestly, Tony is the only one who can keep up with what he is saying. Everyone else just looks on with fond exasperation. He wouldn't have him any other way.

"You kids have fun now. Stay out of trouble and don't be out too late," Rhodey calls from the kitchen. His smirk is full of mischief and good humored teasing.

Tony rolls his eyes and starts to her Peter out the door before he can really start. Because he will, if given half the chance. He is bad like that. "Don't worry Mom, I'll have us back before anyone turns into a pumpkin."

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do," Darcy adds, yelling to be heard.

"That isn't much," he says as he closes the door. If she has something to say to that, he doesn't hear it. He grins over at Peter. "Ready to go?" he asks as he hops into the car.

"Yes!" Peter says as he joins him. "Do I finally get to know where we are going? It's not a coffee shop is it? Because you are dressed for the part."

Tony snorts at that. The wind whips over his beanie as he drives. A quick glance tells him Peter's hair is blowing everywhere as well. Good thing it's short. "You know very well why I am dressed like this. Unless you _want_ the hassle as being publicly known as my boyfriend? And trust me," he continues when it looks as if Peter is going to answer, "you don't. The paparazzi alone are enough to drive you mad. Then you have the tabloids and the lack of privacy and the stalkers and ugh. Yeah no. More trouble than it's worth."

"You would be worth the effort," Peter insists stubbornly. Then, when Tony just looks at him, adds, "Not that any of that sounds pleasant. How do you put up with it?"

"Just use to it," Tony shrugs, "That's how I grew up. My first magazine article was when I was four and built my first circuit board. Been in the public eye ever since.

Peter frowns. "That does sound tedious."

"It is," Tony agrees, laughter coloring his tone. Because oh boy, is it ever, "But it's a way of life. You can adapt to anything, given enough time."

"Still," Peter says, still frowning. But before Tony can ask why, he brightens up, "Where _are_ we going?" he asks again.

"Gee, I don't know. Am I going to be able to answer this time or am I going to get another smart remark?"

"I was just asking kettle," Peter says with a slight pout.

Tony grins at that. It is adorable when Peter pouts like that. "We are going ice skating," he says happily. Then he sneaks a look at Peter to see his reaction. "If you want to that is. If not, we can find something else to do or-"

"Ice skating? Ice skating sounds great. I haven't done that in years." And here comes the bouncing again. He is lucky he doesn't fall right out of the car. The roof isn't up after all.

Tony knows that the smile on his face is far too fond. "Depending on how you look at it, neither have I. I thought it would be a good choice. And it seems to fit the rest of the theme we have going."

"What? Fun and potentially childish?" Peter asks, "Those are the best. Our first date was so much fun. Not that the others weren't great as well," he adds quickly, "They really were."

"You just like the arcade the best," Tony teases, smiling. That was a lot of fun.

Peter nods enthusiastically. "Yeah. I still have the Iron Man plushie on my bed."

Tony can't help but laugh at that. Of course he does. Then again, Tony can't really talk. He has the Spider-Man he won sitting on the table in his shop. It's right next to his main computer so he can see it every time he uses it. No one would ever believe how sentimental Tony can be when he lets himself. Which is a good thing. He has a reputation to maintain after all.

The rink isn't too crowded when they get there. Tony pays and they both get their skates. Peter is grinning ridiculously.

"You're not excited are you?" Tony can't help but tease, "Because if you've changed your mind..."

He trails off and Peter knocks into him. "Oh shut up." He blushes, red coloring his cheeks and going down his neck.

Tony laughs at that and quickly gives him a quick peck on the cheek. A subtle check tells him that no one saw him. Good. He probably shouldn't have, but he couldn't help himself. He really does lov- like, he corrects himself. He really does _like_ Peter. Very much so. Still too early for the L word yet. No need to rush things.

Then again, maybe not. They have been dating for about five months now. Five months, one week and two days. Not that Tony has been counting or anything. So, maybe not yet. But soon. Maybe it would be safe to say it soon. Lovelace knows he's been thinking it for far too long now.

"Ready?" he asks, standing. He holds out his hand.

Peter nods and takes it. There is a moment when he wobbles a little, but soon he is steady on his feet. "Ready," he says. His face is one big smile.

Tony can't help but echo it. That smile is the surest way to cheer Tony up lately. He just can't help returning it when he sees it. It makes something warm in him glow. Mentally he pulls a face. Damn, but he sounds whipped. It's true, but still. No need to make it so obvious. Remember that reputation he is suppose to have.

They hit the ice and are off. The only other people there are a couple of families with small children and a group of teenage girls. Other than that, the rink is wide open. They must have some at a good time, before the rest of the crowd can descend upon them.

They stay side by side at first. Peter is doing a good job, not shaky or anything. But then Tony can't help but show off. Just a little bit. True, he is a little rusty, but only a little bit. It doesn't take long for muscle memory to kick in. Then he is soaring across the ice as if he was made for this. He can't help the excited whoop he lets out. He forgot how much fun this is. Obviously he is going to have to do this more often. Maybe he can add a rink to the Compound. Then he wouldn't have to worry about business hours or travel time. Hmm...

He easily goes into a spin, leaving the ground as he does. Distantly he hears one of the little girls clapping. Oh right, he does have an audience. Well then, better put on a show for them then/ He does so hate to disappoint. He thinks, considers the number of routines he had put together at ass o clock in the morning and starts. The music plays in his head as he goes.

He loses himself in it. It is akin to flying in the suit. Both are freeing. Both enable him to leave the ground, if one more so than the other. Both are able to relax him, taking his mind off of things. And both give him a rush.

It is only when he gets to the end of the routine that he remembers why he doesn't do this one in front of people. He hasn't exactly, ah, gotten it down yet. There is always something that messes him up. It might be the needlessly complicated ending, but he'll never tell. Too late now in any case. He's committed. Might as well go for it. Maybe this will be the time.

He goes into his triple lutz, which goes well. Then he does the triple axis, which is alright, but he can tell it isn't the best. Definitely room for improvement. He makes a note to work on angles and launching strength later. And then he goes into his back flip. Because of course he ends with a back flip. Go big or go home. Well, it turns out he is going home this time too.

He manages to do it fine, but his landing throws him off balance too much. He goes down face first, sprawled out on the ice. His momentum carries him forward until he stops in front of a couple of the kids. They are still clapping wildly for him.

"Owie?" one little boy asks. He can't be more than four and is positively adorable. Tony has always been way more fond of kids than people give him credit for.

He grins up at him. "Yeah buddy, owie." He sits up and gingerly flexes his wrist. A bit tender, but not sprained fortunately.

"Are you alright?" a Mother asks.

Before Tony can answer, Peter is already rushing over to him. He bends down to look at him. His eyes are wide and bright as he looks at him. "Oh my god, are you alright? That was so awesome, but you're not hurt are you? Is it you're wrist? Is it broken? Are you-"

Tony laughs and covers his mouth with his hand. "I'm fine Peter pot, just a little spill. Nothing a few days won't fix. I've had worse."

That doesn't reassure him in the least. "Still." He frowns, obviously not liking the sound of that. "Are you sure?"

Tony stands up and stretches with a groan. "Yeah, I'm sure. Should have known not to try that, I never land gracefully. Oh well." He shrugs, careless of the bruises he can feel forming. He wasn't joking when he said he's had worse. Even minor battles have left him more battered than this.

"Kiss owie betta?" the little boy asks.

Tony smiles down at him. What a great idea. "Yes Petey, kiss it better for me?" he bats his eyes at him.

Peter shakes his head, but still cradles him hand in his and kisses it. "Better?"

"So much better." Tony smiles at him. It's probably softer than it should be in front of everyone, but Tony isn't ashamed. He doesn't want to keep their relationship from the public for his sake, but Peter's. If it were up to him, it wouldn't be his hand he would be kissing better.

He hears a high pitched 'aw' and turns to see the girls skating over to him. One of them hands him his glasses. He hadn't even noticed they went flying. Good thing he doesn't need them to see. Surprisingly they hadn't cracked when they went flying. Huh. How about that. "Thanks," he says with a smile. He slips them back onto his face.

"The two of you are adorable," another girl squeals. Definitely a yaoi fan then. Not that Tony is one to judge.

"Are you professional?" a third asks.

He shakes his head. "Nah, this is just a hobby of mine."

"Wish I was that good at my hobby," the first mutters.

Tony snorts. "Trust me, this is years of practice right here."

He doesn't try anything else fancy for the rest of the time. Well, he skates backwards so that he can talk to Peter, but that hardly counts.

Peter enjoys himself. He even talks Tony into teaching him a few simple tricks – not that he has to try very hard. He does well, of course. No worse than when Tony first started out. He lands on his ass more than a few times, but that is a given, no matter how agile you are. When you first start out, you are going to fall.

"Do you need me to kiss it better?" he offers when he falls again, trying to do a lutz jump. "Keeping it PG of course. Don't want to scar the kids for life yet. Save that until they start school."

Peter shakes his head, but he is smiling. "This is harder than it looks. I never knew you could skate."

Tony shrugs as he helps him up. "There are a lot of things I did in college – and before – that I don't talk about. I know how to dance too. And not you're classic ballroom either."

"Oh really? What can you do?" Peter asks and begins moving again.

"Pole and belly dancing," he admits with a shrug.

Peter stumbles. "Um, what? You, ah, you can pol- pole dance?" he stutters his way through.

Tony laughs at that. "Yeah I can. Pole dancing is actually amazing exercise. Most people assume it is only for strippers of course. And to be fair, that is who I learned from at first. She was very good at what she did. But that wasn't why I did it. Well," he pauses, tilting his head to the side, "if I ever needed money without Howard knowing, I could get it that way. But I rarely performed for people. Why? Do you want a show?" he asks slyly.

Peter blushes bright red. "It, ah, it would be interesting."

"Interesting," Tony snorts, laughing at that, "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

He blushes even redder. "I hate you so much right now," he grumbles.

"Aw, underoos. Tell you what, next time we watch a movie, it can be Star Wars, alright."

Peter perks up at that. "All of them?"

"The first trilogy," he clarifies, "Sorry, but even my affections can't sit through watching Jar Jar Binks for that long."

Peter pulls a face in obvious agreement.

Oh good. Tony knows that there are people out there that like him, but Tony is not one of them. It's the voice, mainly. He cannot stand the voice. And the speech pattern. And the – ugh. Just everything about him drives Tony nuts. He is glad Peter agrees. There might be some serious problems in their relationship otherwise.

"Fine," Peter says, as if he is making a big sacrifice on his part by agreeing.

Tony grins. Drama queen.

"Anything else you can unexpectedly do?" Peter asks.

"Dear me sweetheart, I could write a book on it. Being unexpected is my specialty after all."

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?" he asks. He tries to act serious, but there is too much humor in his eyes.

Tony gasps in mock surprise. He puts his hand over his heart, the smack echoing slightly. "Really butter cup, what do you take me for? Of course not. Where would be the fun in that?"

"I don't think you have to ever worry about being boring," Peter says.

Tony beams. "See? That means I'm doing it right then."

Peter just snorts, but he grabs a hold of Tony's hand and gives it a squeeze before letting go again. "Yeah, exactly," he agrees.

When they arrive back to the Compound, they find Jane and Darcy in the living room. It's not clear whether they are purposefully waiting for them or if this is just where they happen to be. They are at opposite ends of the couch, feet and legs in each other's way.

"Did you two have fun?" Jane asks.

"Did you two behave?" Darcy asks, wiggling her eyebrows at them.

"Yes," Peter answers, "Tony took me ice skating, it was great. Did you know he taught himself to figure skate? He can do a lot of things he never tells anyone about. But it was amazing. He ended up on his face, but that was only the one time," he is quick to add, "But he is _so_ good. And he taught he some tricks, which are cool. Skating is lots of fun. Hey, maybe we can go again and you can come with us. It can be a double date! That would be fun right?" Peter grins at them.

Jane and Darcy stare at him, look at each other and then look away quickly.

Peter seems to realize what he just said. "Oh wait, you aren't together yet. Right. It's only that Tony noticed before that you both like each other and he wanted to help the two of you. You know, cause you helped us get together. But he didn't know how yet and I probably messed up his plans and I should stop talking now."

Tony slings his arm around his shoulders. "Yeah probably," he agrees, "Then again, this is part of your charm. But it's true," he says, looking between Jane and Darcy, "You like each other. And you would make a cute couple. Plus you fit together well anyways. But I'm gonna take this one home now. Have fun," he calls as he pulls Peter from the room.

"Oops?" Peter offers.

Tony laughs and shrugs. "Honestly, that works just as well as anything. I wasn't sure the best way to do it, but you have taken care of that now, my spiderling."

"Spider-Man," Peter grumbles, but leans into his side.

"Isn't that what I said?" Tony asks with a grin.

-xxx-

The next day, Jane and Darcy announce that they are officially together. Tony whoops in success. That's right, adding another power couple to the mix. This is going to be awesome.

-xxx-

"Five more minutes and then you have to get ready for your meeting with Pepper," Darcy calls from outside the ward circle.

Tony and Jane have been practicing now for the past few hours and things are going good. Really good, in fact. Things seem to be slowly, but surely, coming together for them. Jane discovers something new to do everyday. Which, really, makes sense. Reality warping is all about imagining what you want and seeing if you can make it real or not. Thus far, she can. It's a bit of bumpy process, true. Things don't always turn out quite right. And she still has the occasional explosion. But overall, she is getting better everyday.

Tony, on the other hand, is working on his energy manipulation. There are about a million things he can do with it and he is determined to master all of it. His transportation is going well. He gets faster every time he does it. Visualization. It's all about the visualization, ironically enough. The three 'D's of apparition. What is his life anymore?

He raises a hand to show that he has heard and continues to concentrate. He is still determined to become the next Avatar. Or, at the very least, a fire bender. Well, he knows thus far he can control elemental energy, so there's that. He can generally summon fire. Controlling it? That is still something he needs to work on. So he is.

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Ugh. He so doesn't want to go to SI today. He has a meeting with R&D, which isn't bad. He is looking forward to that. But he also has a meeting with some key investors and then the board. Then, if that isn't bad enough, he has paperwork he needs to complete. It is going to be a long and tedious day. Not his idea of a good time. At all. But needs must, so he has to go. Also, if he doesn't, he has full confidence that Pepper will march herself to the Compound and drag him there herself. By his ear. She's effective like that.

Everything is going well until there is a slight hiccup in the fire. It doesn't hurt anything or get out of control, but it does startle Jane. She jumps and squeaks and suddenly Tony is hit with... something. It doesn't feel harmful or dangerous. Not energy, he would have been able to tell that. But something warm. He has no idea what it did until Jane starts apologizing. She is also trying to hold back laughter.

"Oh damn, Tony I'm sorry. I have no idea how that happened. Really, I am sorry," she manages between small gasps. But then she loses her control and just laughs.

He dismisses his fire with a wave of his hand and sighs. "Do I want to know?" What in the world happened now? It can't be too bad, if this is Jane's reaction, but still.

Darcy isn't much better. However, she does hold out her phone for him to use. He opens the camera app and just stares blankly at himself for a long moment. Pink. His hair is now bright, neon _pink_. What the hell? Out of all the things that could have happened, _this_ is what he gets? He supposes that he should be thankful that it isn't something worse. Still. The hell? It's not so much the color that bothers him as the fact that it got changed at all. He isn't one of those macho men who feel threatened by the mere sight of something 'feminine'. Still, this is a little ridiculous. "Something you want to tell me? Because last I checked, pink wasn't actually my color."

Jane shakes her head, still snorting with laughter. "Sorry," she manages to gasp, but not much else.

"What were you even trying to do?" Is there anything close to a color spell that would be considered useful? Or is this one of Jane's accidental magic episodes again? Maybe he should be thankful that he didn't explode instead.

"I have no idea," she says, understandable now, but it is clear that she could start up again. "Sorry," she clears her throat. "Aw, just give me a minute and..." she stares, obviously trying to fix the mistake.

Tony nods and waits. And waits. And waits some more as Jane stares intently at him. "Nothings happening, is it?" he asks, quite unnecessarily.

"No sugar pop, you're still rocking the neon," Darcy says, answering him.

Jane is still staring at him.

"Not to be an ass here, but any chance you could hurry? I really do need to go meet Pepper soon."

"I'm trying," she says, frustration clear in her voice, "It's not working."

"Right then," he nods, "Can you concentrate if I talk? Not to you," he clarifies.

"Can't hurt," she says. She's not even blinking. That's kind of impressive and kind of creepy all at the same time.

"Good then." He scrolls through Darcy's phone and calls Pepper. She picks up right away. "Hey Pep, sunshine of the day, the apple to my pie, the best CEO ever in the history of ever," he begins real casually, "tell me, how much would you kill me if I said I was going to be a little late today."

"I would ask you the method of death you would prefer and then pick the one you didn't want," she says calmly, "And then I would bring you back and do it again. Does that answer your question Mr Stark?" she asks sweetly.

Shit Pep is in a feisty mood today. "Even if I look... a bit different?" Different, yeah. That's a good way of putting it. Just a minor change really. No big deal. He's young, isn't he suppose to do stupid stuff like this? Except for the part that, you know, he didn't do it to himself.

"I do not care if you come in looking like an Oompa Loompa. Be here."

"Alrighty then. It's a good thing I don't plan on missing a second of it. Bye Pep, see you soon." He hangs up before she has a chance to say anything else. Right. So definitely no time for a dye job then. And this doesn't look like a quick fix, going by the color of red Jane's face is turning from the effort. "Don't worry about it now. We can deal with it when I get back."

But Jane frowns. "But isn't that bad for business, going around looking like that?"

Tony just waves her off. "Hey I am the son of the eccentric Tony Stark remember? I'm bound to have some weird quirks. It's practically mandatory. Don't worry," he repeats, "If nothing else, I'll dye it when I return."

"Right. Sorry again," she says. And then she smirks, "Although you do look surprisingly good in pink."

"What can I say, I'm Tony Stark. I look good in everything."

Jane snorts. "Keep telling yourself that."

"Now that that's all settled, time to move lamb chops," Darcy says with a clap of her hands, "Don't want to be late after all."

"Heaven forbid," he agrees dryly, "Fry baby, I have a suit that will match my new style right?" he asks as he walks into the Compound.

"Of course you do Boss. And might I say how much I like it. Trend setting today are we?"

"You know it." He winks at her nearest camera. "I have to keep everyone on their toes somehow, don't I? You would be bored without me."

"Undoubtedly," FRIDAY agrees. "You even have a tie that matches," she adds.

Tony snickers at that. Yeah. Yeah he does. And a vest too actually. Hmm, how much does he want to play this up? Oh who is he kidding. All the way of course. It would be a sin not too at this point.

And boy, does Pepper ever look so impressed when she sees him. "What did you do now?" she sighs, sounding far too resigned about this.

Tony flashes her a bright smile, straightening his bright pink vest. "Why Pep, how can you ask such a thing? This isn't even my fault and here you are, making assumptions. You know what they say about those."

"Yes well, you've been an ass for years now. I doubt that is going to change anytime soon."

"So mean," he shakes his head tragically, "Care bear, back me up here," he says as he turns to Darcy, "This wasn't my fault was it?"

"Not this time at least," Darcy says with a grin.

"At least? What do you mean at least?"

Darcy ignores him. "It was actually Jane. She did... something," she wiggles her fingers to demonstrate, "and wasn't able to change it back in time. Thus here we are, Pinkie Pie and all."

"You have to admit, I pull it off well," Tony points out, rather reasonably he thinks.

"Is that why you painted your fingernails black?" Pepper asks dryly.

"I have to look good, don't I?" he asks, eyebrow raised. Really, that should be obvious.

"I suppose I only have myself to blame," she sighs, "At least you don't actually look like an Oompa Loompa."

"Thank Lovelace for small miracles right?"

"Since we all don't worship at the altar of science? No, I think I will stick with the traditional phrase, thank you very much."

Tony shrugs. "Your loss then. Or, you know, you could always use Thor instead. I don't think he would mind."

Pepper doesn't say anything to that. "Let's get this over with then."

"Come on Pep, it's just hair. No need to sound as if you are facing your own execution." He grins brightly at her.

"No," she says in agreement, "but some days, it feels as if I am facing yours."

"Harsh that. Really, where has the faith gone?" He shakes his head dramatically.

"Bold of you to assume it was there to begin with," Pepper says.

Darcy just cackles.

The rest of the day is just as long and as boring as Tony thought it would be. And sure, his hair gets a few stares, some startled looks, but no one acts like it is the end of the world. Clearly they are use to so much worse by now. Way to set good standards. And he already laid the groundwork in his early twenties. Now he is reaping the benefits. Nothing can really top some of the stunts he pulled in that time period.

One bold soul from R&D even complimented him. Another asks him why. "Experiment gone wrong," is all he says. The look he gets is one part confused, one part afraid and one part blank. It is truly a thing of beauty. He wishes he could have framed it somehow. Maybe he will go back in the security feed and take a screenshot of it. For prosperity of course.

When Tony gets back to the Compound, he goes to find Jane to see if she can reverse this. Because he probably should have it reversed. And he doesn't want to go through all of the trouble of dying it if she can fix it without. So he gets himself comfortable, tablet and snack at hand and tells her not to feel any pressure.

Three hours later it is still the same. They call it quits because Jane looks so frustrated she could cry. So they stop and wait until the next day. When Jane still can't fix it, he gives in to the inevitable and buys some dye. Sure he could have this professionally done, but he doesn't feel like it right now. Maybe later.

But then he runs into another surprise complication – he can't dye his hair. Literally. The dye won't stick. It wouldn't stain. It won't do its damn job at all. He even has FRIDAY check to make sure he is doing it right – even though he knows he is – and that there isn't something wrong with the dye – there isn't. It just won't work on Tony's hair. There is no real reason why not, except that Jane obviously did more than she thought she did. Or maybe she didn't do enough. Either way, the manual fix is out.

The third day in and they call Stef. He can't fix it. Neither can Wong, although he seems terribly amused by this. No coaching, no ideas, nothing helps Jane figure out how to reverse it either. There is seemingly nothing they can do. Tony is stuck with pink hair for the near future. Maybe even the far future.

"Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?" he asks.

"Shut up Stark," she grumbles, "I told you this wasn't supposed to be my role. I am suppose to be the supporting girl for the hero to fight for, not, not," she waves her hand violently through the air, "whatever the hell this is."

Tony shrugs. "It could be worse. To be honest, it's starting to grow on me. And the internet has now decided that I am making a statement about assumed gender roles and stereotypes, so there's that. Some of the posts have actually been pretty amusing to read so far. It's doing more good than harm currently. And any of my fellow business colleagues can suck it if they don't like it. SI is still a force to be reckoned with, no matter what color my hair is."

"Personally I think it's awesome," Darcy says from where she is leaning against Jane's side. "I'm a little jelly to be honest. I want a cool dye job on my hair. Hey, I know. Do me next!" She smiles brightly at Jane, all hopeful and charming.

Jane doesn't seem swayed by it though. "Honestly Darcy, you can't be serious. No," she corrects quickly, "I know you are because of course. But that is such a bad idea. I had no idea how I did his in the first place. What if you hate it and I can't change it."

"Oh come on, don't be such a Debbie Downer about this. It will be fine. Please," she bats her eyes, "With a cherry on top and everything."

Tony takes back what he said about the look not working when Jane sighs and says, "Fine. But remember, if you hate it, you were the one who asked for this." She closes her eyes and concentrates.

Darcy doesn't look worried in the least.

Tony watches closely, but even with that, he can't see the change happen. It is instantaneous. One second Darcy's hair is her usual dark brown. The next there are neon streaks of blue going through it. He has to admit, it looks pretty good actually. "Wicked," he says, letting them both know that it worked and worked out well.

Jane opens her eyes and makes a sound of approval

"Let me see, let me see," Darcy demands.

Tony hands her his phone and she quickly looks at herself with it. "Wow. Oh wow, this is like cool beans. A whole bucket of awesome sauce. You're the best girlfriend ever!" she announces before pouncing on Jane. She leans down and kisses her.

Jane doesn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she looks quite happy about the situation.

Tony takes that as his sign to leave. He grabs his phone back and goes out of the room and down to the shop, ignoring the nose he can hear from the living room. Definitely time to give them some privacy.

-xxx-

"I see the media is right for once," Shuri says when Tony picks up, "you're hair _is_ pink."

Tony smirks in amusement at that. "You were expecting otherwise?" he draws.

"Frankly?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at him, "Yes. Your news is ridiculous, you do realize this right? I've read everything from this is you protesting the toxicity of masculinity to that it is a cry for attention. Another seems to deem it as a sign that you are truly crazy and that no one should listen to you. Let another argues that this exactly _why_ they should listen to you – you are representing the new generation. It is quite entertaining, all told." She grins happily at this.

"So of course you assumed it was all a publicity stunt instead?" What a thought. Then again, maybe that isn't such a crazy assumption after all. Especially with some of the 'news' out there.

"I was not willing to discount the possibility. It seems as if when people are bored – or when they need a distraction from real news – they make some ridiculous claim and go with it."

Tony hums at that. "I take it the news in Wakanda is handled differently then?"

Shuri scoffs at that. "Of course it is. We do not waste our time on petty things."

"Oh really?" Fine then, he believes her. Sounds fake as hell, but sure, yeah, he'll go with it.

"Or at least are petty things are true when they are told," she adds.

Alright, that sounds better. "A world without tabloids. That sounds nice." More than nice actually. It sounds wonderful. It sounds even better when Tony thinks about how often he was featured in them. Which, yes, was basically anytime they were bored. Or slow. From the time Tony entered MIT to now. His 'retirement' hadn't changed that. Now he is in twice as much, by two different names.

People are still talking about Tony Stark, even though he hasn't been seen in months. There are all kinds of speculation about what he is doing now. Some believe he really has retired from everyone and is enjoying himself. Some compare it to when he first returned from Afghanistan and wonders why. What trauma is he now recovering from? What hadn't they been told? What is he up to now? Some see it as a scam. That Tony Stark can't actually be giving up. There has to be something more. Some call him a coward. Some say he is dead and that Edan is hiding the fact. Some are glad to be rid of him. None have forgotten.

It's unnerving in a way. He knew he was an important part of the world. Always in the spotlight. Always present, even when he wasn't wanted. But clearly he underestimated just how much the country, the world, depended on him. Either to vilify or commend, his name is always on people's tongue. He has been told that he is far too egotistical, all his life. Arrogant. Far too self important for his own good. But what happens when it turns out they were wrong – that he is that important. That he _is_ the center of everything. Or almost everything.

It's getting to the point where he is worried that he is somehow going to have to have Tony Stark come back somehow. Which is rather impossible at this point. Best he has come up with is have someone use the nano tech mask to pretend to be him. Someone who knows him, but someone people won't question is missing from his side. It's something to think on.

Shuri hums in agreement, bring Tony back from his thoughts. "All anyone does is argue and call each other names. How does anything get done?"

Tony shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm not too sure either some days. Very slowly mostly."

Shuri frowns. "Does the Council have a Subcouncil that is capable of making decisions in a hurry, in case of an emergency? I have been too busy to keep up with all the amendments they have been proposing lately."

"Um," Tony frowns, thinking about that, "I'm not sure off the top of my head, but I'll ask Councilwoman Rosewater next time I speak with her and find out."

"So you _are_ in contact with the Council then." Shuri smirks victoriously, as if she had just won something. Who knows, maybe she did.

"Yes?" he asks more than says, "I mean, Rosewater is my go to person at the moment, but eventually I am going to have to deal with the rest of them."

She continues to smirk, but instead of explaining, changes the subject. "I am going to be in California in three days. I'm staying there for two weeks before I have to go home again to arrange some other things I am bound to need. White Wolf has agreed to come with me."

"Great," Tony says in excitement. Not so much about meeting Barnes again. He still doesn't know how he feels about that one. But meeting up – and sciencing – with Shuri is going to be awesome. "Would waiting a week give you enough time to get everything mostly done before I come out?"

She nods. "That will be good. Be sure to bring some of your toys too. You're always suppose to share – or at least that's what I've been told."

Tony laughs. "I vaguely remember something like that. Never worked out well though."

She pulls a face. "At least you never had an older brother. They're the worst."

He continues to snicker at that. Doesn't he know it. "So I've heard." He's also heard the same thing from Thor, only about little brothers instead. Siblings in general just seem to be a problem.

Which is how, a week later, Tony finds himself flying out to California. Too bad he couldn't just transport there, but he had an appearance he needed to maintain. He finds the building easily enough. It looks like an old apartment complex. It's obviously being remodeled, but it's also clearly seen better years. He wonders why they chose this building.

Just as he wonders what to do next – knock? Call? Try to get someone's attention – Shuri comes out to greet him. Barnes is shadowing her, not quite hiding, but also not beside her either. He looks much better than the last time Tony saw him. His hair is still long, but it is pulled back into a bun. He is clean shaven. His eyes are clear and alert, as if he is finally mentally present. And, most telling of all, he looks mostly comfortable in his skin now. It's a good look on him.

"Stark," she grins as she approaches, "are you ready?"

He returns it. "For this? Always," he answers easily.

"Right, now, Stark, Sergeant Barnes," she nods, "Sergeant Barnes, Edan Stark."

Tony holds out a hand for him to shake. His left one, because he is an ass like that.

Barnes hesitates and then shakes it. It is clear that he is leery of using his metal arm with a stranger – or maybe just in general – but he does. It is a steady hold, not too hard or too gentle. Just like the real thing. If it weren't for the metal, you would never know the difference.

Tony can't help cooing over it. "Oh aren't you a beauty. Yes ma'am, look at those lines on you. And the accents. Bet you making all the boys drool."

"She's certainly having an affect on you," Barnes draws.

Tony grins up at him, completely unrepentant about it. "What can I say, I like my tech the way I like my partners – gorgeous and strong."

Barnes snorts. "You're a smooth one, aren't you?"

"Always." Tony winks at him. Him? Not be smooth? As if. He goes back to the arm. It really is gorgeous, all black with gold lines.

"You going to give it back?" he asks next. He doesn't sound sharp exactly, but he's clearly not comfortable with this.

Tony lets go with a sigh of regret. "So close and yet so far," he mourns.

Shuri just laughs at him. "Come on Stark, let's go play with our other toys instead."

"If we must." He shoots one more longing glance at the arm and follows. Alright, so maybe he is playing this up here. Just a little bit. But he is trying to make a good first impression here. Maybe not the most graceful one, but it got the point across that he wanted to make. He's not afraid of Barnes and he's not mad at him.

They go into the building and head to the second floor. As he walks, he sees that his first impression was right. It is being remodeled. Some are done and have been converted into small labs. Some look as if they are being turned into large classrooms. Then there are still some bedrooms, some lounges, everything you would need to make this a comfortable place for kids – or anyone who wants to learn really.

"Looks good," he comments idly, "Interesting choice in buildings though. I would have thought you would have gone less for a fixer upper than this."

"T'Challa is the one who bought it. It is significant to him."

The way she says that makes Tony instantly curious. "Oh?" he asks.

She nods, considers and then goes on ahead. "Recently events in Wakanda have changed our stance on sharing our resources with the rest of the world. Before, our isolation was seen as protecting us. Now, we see that it is selfish to hide. We can do so much good for the world. And if we can, then shouldn't we?"

Tony has a flashback to Peter's 'with great power comes great responsibility' he said... hell, it seems like a lifetime ago. It rings rather similar. So he nods. Isn't that one of the reasons that he became Iron Man in the first place. To clean up his illegally sold weapons, yes. But also for the good he could do. He could help people like this. He had a responsibility towards them. To help them when they could not help themselves.

Take it, yes, guilt was a very large part of it back then. When he first built the suits, all he could see was the harm he had done the he needed to put to right. But that changed. It's definitely changed now. Now Tony loves it. It is in his bones. As he once said, the suit and he are one. Without him, there is no Iron Man.

"And whoever showed you this use to live here then." He nods. Makes sense in a way. How they ever met anyone from here, with their isolation, he doesn't know. But obviously it happened.

Shuri begins to laugh at that. "I told T'Challa you were going to figure it out, even with a little bit of information. He didn't seem to believe me. Yes, he did," she confirms, but doesn't elaborate. Fair enough then. It is obviously a sore subject.

They arrive at their destination, a big lab with equipment scattered all over the place. Tony can't help the happy noise that escapes from him. Candy land of another flavor.

Shuri bounces over to one of the stools and sits down. She motions for him to join her and brings up a screen to work on. It's something similar to Tony's own, except that there is an actual pad to support it. Huh, odd.

Tony sits and brings out his own holo screen from his backpack he had slung over his shoulder. "Right, so space first then?"

She nods and keeps her eyes on Tony's projector. To be fair, it doesn't look like much of one. It is a five by five inch cube with a small lens at the top.

He motions and it comes alive. He brings up all the basic information they might need. Only the basic, because he fully expects to be editing and rearranging everything he has. Tapping his ear piece, he asks, "With me Fry babe?"

"Are you trying to accuse me of slacking off Boss?" she answers, "Because that's rude. And I know what you taught me about rude people."

Shuri squeaks.

Tony laughs, delighted still to be able to do this. His AI is truly a wonder. "You know I wouldn't do that to my favorite girl. Now, introduce yourself to Princess Shuri. We'll be working with her, so you behave, hear me?"

"I shall follow your example as always Boss," she answers cheekily, "Hello Princess Mulan, it is nice to meet you. I am Stark's AI FRIDAY."

"You have an AI," Shuri says. Her voice sounds awed and beyond excited.

Tony shrugs, but can't help the smile that tugs at his mouth. "I do. I have multiple AIs actually, even if most of them are technically Dad's. FRIDAY is just the latest one."

"Even the one he built for his thesis?"

He nods. "Yeah Dum-E is still ticking. Still getting into everything he shouldn't, more like. And spraying things that aren't on fire. And making toxic smoothies. He's such a nuisance." Nuisance. Yeah, that's right. Now if only that didn't come out overly fond, it might actually be believable. "Honestly, I am surprised you're this interested. Surely with your tech and knowledge you could have your own AI."

She shakes her head. "I could likely, but this kind of coding isn't something I work regularly with. Vibranium has many advantages to it, but AI technology is not one of them. It's a different kind of miracle. She really is quite advance."

"Thank you Mulan, you're work is very good as well. I have been looking forward to this ever since Boss mentioned it."

"Do you know how to code or is it only your Father who could?"

Tony smiles at the irony of it all. It's just too much right now. "Oh no, I can do it as well as he could. I was taught by the expert after all."

"I want to learn," Shuri says, eyes sparkling.

"Sure," he agrees easily, "but I'd ask you not to try unless I'm there for the first couple of times." He holds up a hand, stopping her from speaking, "Not because I think you aren't smart enough. I know you are. But I am also aware of just how wrong things can go."

"Ultron," Barnes says into the silence. This is the first he made any noise to let them know he was there, let alone speak. He had sat down and watched them with heavy eyes.

Tony nods in agreement. "Ultron. Take it, there were multiple reasons why he went wrong – outside interference being a big one. But bringing a new AI into existence is a big thing. You want to do it right."

"As if I would do otherwise." She huffs in offense.

"Of course Your Highness, whatever was I thinking?" Laughter colors the question, but that is ignored.

Shuri grins. "Really Stark, keep up."

"I'll do my best. Now what do you have in mind for our step into the final frontier?"She pulls up multiple designs. "It depends on how deep space we are talking about. And what we need. A warning system? Something able to record visual data? Audio shouldn't be possible in space, but does that hold now? There are entirely new worlds out there."

"First of all, I am thinking _very_ deep space – as in out of our galaxy completely. Once they hit the Milky Way, that should be our sign to wrap everything up, not start preparing. And at this point, we need any info we can get – video, audio, scans, anything and everything we can."

"And just how are we going to have them reach their destination in time?" she frowns, "It takes almost nine and a half years just to get to Pluto."

Tony grins at her. "Easy, we're going to cheat."

"How do you cheat space?" She looks nothing like a too curious cat right now. The comparison is hilarious.

"Magic of course," is his casual answer. Because isn't that the way you cheat on everything? It seems like it anymore. "Stef – our Sorcerer Supreme that is – has the ability to open portals to anywhere. Why not space? When I asked, he said he should be able to. Take it, he said his aim might be a bit off since he has never done one that far out before, but there is no reason it should not be possible."

She nods. "And that would enable us to observe how it is able to hold up when it is first released. If anything is going to go wrong in those first instances, we will know."

"Right," Tony says with a nod, "And we aren't limited by anything such as speed or distance. Spread enough of them out to make a circle around us and see what feedback we get."

Shuri hums. "And once we narrow it down, we can send more out in that direction to get better information."

"Exactly." Tony grins at her. "Now tell me about some of these designs of yours. They look awesome."

"You have no idea," she says and then launches into her explanation.

It descends into technobabble after that. Times stops meaning anything as they talk and sass and good naturedly poke at each other's ideas. Tony is having an absolute blast with it. It is like working with Jane or Peter, only at the next level. This is sci fi nerding, pure and simple. Heaven, more like. Space has always held a special fascination for him, having grown up on Star Trek and Star Wars like he had. Star Trek is better, obviously, but both have interesting points.

It is only when a plate of sandwiches are thrust into his face that he comes out of the science haze he is in. He blinks and sees that Barnes is the one holding the plate in front of him. He takes it carefully and the watches as he does the same thing for Shuri.

She sighs as she does. "We have found out that the mother hen syndrome is not one that disappears, no matter how many years it is gone," she says, smiling slightly, as she takes a bite.

Tony does the same and hums thoughtfully. It's his favorite – salami, pepperoni, pickle and mustard. Rhodey always makes a face at him when he eats it, but really, there are so many worse combinations he could like. He doesn't see anything wrong with this. But then, he doesn't like salami for some reason. Weirdo.

"I let him know Boss," FRIDAY answers his unasked question.

Oh, that's alright then. He continues to eat. She must have told him how much to make too because there are more than he would have expected. Enough for him now, but before it would have been too much. Oh the wonders of an enhanced metabolism. What a pain in the ass. "That so?" he asks, eyebrow raised at Barnes.

"Someone has to make sure Buck and Wilma are fed," he grumbles, looking rather grumpy about it.

Tony can't help snort at that in amusement. "Buck Rogers huh? Does that make you Hawk?" he asks snarkily.

All that gets him is a blank look. "Never seen the TV show then? It's no Star Trek, but it has its moments."

He nods, still somewhat blankly.

Well that won't do. "So is it just because it was around at the time that you remember or are you another sci fi nerd? Because the world can never have enough." He smiles easily at him.

"Is that so?" he asks and then shrugs, "I always did. Stevie liked to tease me that one day I would build a time machine and go see the future for myself. Be the next explorer." His mouth pulls a bit bitterly at that.

Tony doesn't blame him. The irony of that must burn his mouth. Rogers too, if he ever thinks about that. Yeah, they're in the future now. Both of them. Just not in a way either of them would have wanted. He doesn't miss the 'Stevie' either. Is that because of his old memories or because they are now getting along better than the last time Shuri mentioned him?

"Well then, you are officially drafted. Come on and help us come up with ideas." He motions for him to sit closer. "And don't worry, I only bite if you ask me to." He winks at him.

"Charmer," Barnes mutters, but obeys.

It gets even more interesting with him added into the mix. It is clear that he isn't always following the science behind everything. Nor is he nearly as smart as either of them. But at the same time, he has different thoughts than either of them. A different way of looking at things. And he picks up everything easily once it is explained to him. Tony makes up a list in his head of books that Barnes should read so he can follow. Homework, but from the way his eyes are lit up, Tony doesn't think he will mind.

They end their first day only after the sun has been down for some hours, having gotten carried away again. Tony leaves to go to his hotel with a grin on his face. That was as much fun as he thought it was going to be. Even with the dark motive behind what they are doing, it is still fun and light and just a blast. He can't wait for the next day.

He ends up spending the rest of the week like that. Sleep doesn't always come, with all the ideas and thoughts swimming through his head. But each new day is a new adventure filled with new knowledge and perspectives. It is something Tony never wants to end.

Of course it does. The end of the week comes and Shuri and Barnes have to go back to Wakanda to arrange for more things that are needed here. Tony is sad to see them go, but both promise to be back. Yes, even Barnes. He seemed to have warmed up more as the week went on.

It got better too, when Barnes pulled Tony aside on the third day to finally say what was clearly on his mind. "I'm sorry," he mutters, looking at the floor. Then he seems to pull himself up and repeats, "I'm sorry I murdered your grandparents. And tried to kill your Dad," looking him in the eye.

Tony blinks at that. Oh. This is unexpected. Then again, this shouldn't be a surprise maybe. "Don't worry about it Barnes," he waves off, "all water under the bridge now."

"But-" Barnes protests.

"No," he repeats, "look ok, number one, HYDRA did it, not you. Just because they used your body doesn't make you responsible. Does that suck balls? Yeah, it does. I'm not even going to pretend I know how much that sucks. But in the end that means it wasn't your fault, even though it feels like it. Number two, Siberia was a shitty situation. Yeah, I know all about it. And it was a pile of shit. No one acted the way they should have. You might have attacked Dad, but he started it first. Am I right in thinking he wasn't the only one triggered in that place?"

He waits and sees Barnes nod at him in confirmation.

"See?" he points a finger to prove his point, "Shitty, but since when does trauma follow logic? Everyone did things that they shouldn't have in that place. Also, you realize that another big trigger wasn't just you, but the fact that Rogers knew and kept it a secret? I mean, it didn't help anything that you were _right there_ , but it definitely didn't help that Rogers was still lying about it to his face before he attacked him. PTSD is a bitch, I'm sure you know."

"Still," Barnes insists.

Tony shakes his head. "No, no, no still, no but, no nothing. Water under the bridge Barnes. Triggers and trauma and shit happens, yeah?"

Barnes frowns. "Shit happens," he repeats, but he clearly isn't happy about it, "Shit doesn't always excuse you though."

"No it doesn't," he agrees, "but in your case, yes it does. Rogers? Sorry to say _no_. Or, only sorry in as not sorry about it. I know you two have the whole 'together to the end of the line' thing going on, but nope. His hypocritical ass is not forgiven in the least." That is still a long way off. Like when hell freezes over. Just because he _might_ be able to see where he was coming from, partly, with the Accords, doesn't mean this is the same. This is a whole other bucket of shit that Tony is pissed about.

Barnes just nods in acceptance of that. "See you tomorrow Buck," he says as he walks away.

"Night Hawk, don't let the bedbugs bite," he calls after him.

Barnes raises a hand in acknowledgment, but doesn't look back.

So yes, things had gotten better after that. He can't wait until they meet up again. They are going to start building then.

The next piece of good news comes with Tony's morning coffee after he gets back. FRIDAY pulled it up for him. The headlines scream

 **Back Room Deals**

 **Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross Found Red Handed With Dirty Dealings**

in bold, full color. It makes him cackle gleefully. Reading it is even better Christine did a beautiful, beautiful job with it. He is going to have to send her some flowers for this. She sounds positively outraged by it all. He wonders how much of that is her playing it up and how much of her is genuinely pissed about what all she found.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" he asks Rhodey as he wanders in the room.

His eyes are bright with laughter as he nods. "How scandalous. To think our good Secretary of State could do such things – illegal experimentation, illegal imprisonment, disregarding basic human rights. How dastardly." He shakes his head sadly. "And here I thought out Thunderbolt was a good old American general, looking out for us."

Tony has to grab the counter to keep himself upright, he is laughing so hard. "You preach it honey bear," he gasps.

"What are we talking about?" Darcy asks as she and Jane walk into the kitchen, "How much of an asshat Ross is? Cause all I have to say is freakin finally."

"Amen," Tony raises his coffee cup to that.

Things move fast after that. The news is full of stories about everything that is coming to light. Turns out Tony only hit the tip of the iceberg with what he told her. No wonder it took her so long. She needed to prepare. And prepare she did. Her notes lead the investigation against him. In a shockingly short amount of time, Ross is out of public favor, out of office, and into jail. Obviously they wanted to sweep the scandal under the rug as quickly as possible.

Tony was hardly involved at all. He provided some video footage, but he didn't have to testify at all. And thank Lovelace that they didn't want Tony Stark to testify. That would have been bad. Well, there are always those nano tech masks, but still. He is still firmly in 'retirement'.

But he doesn't realize just how much this was weighing him down until it is done and over. Ross is gone, to never torture or bother anyone ever again. Money and power don't mean much when you are _that_ screwed after all.

That reminds him, he needs to work on the new suit idea he is toying with. It had been something he had been considering, but had been reaffirmed when he was talking with Shuri. Nano tech. Nano tech can do incredible things. Why not a suit? He has never played with them before, but that seems like a shame now that he thinks about it.

Too bad he doesn't have time to finish it before they get called out to their next battle. He could likely have used it. At this point, they can use all the help they can get. Tony sorely regrets that Jane isn't with them right now, because this would make this so much easier. Cause, you know, strangely enough battling a giant stone monster isn't his idea of a good time. Or Stef's. Or Rhodey's. Or Peter's. Or Vision's. Or anyone, really, right now.

It wouldn't be so bad if any of their blasts made a dent in the thing. But they aren't. Not really. Or at least not enough to make a difference. He has to wonder if the thing even feels it. From the way it is still rampaging through the city? Not likely.

"Next idea," he calls over the comms. He is on the lookout, making sure there aren't any civilians in danger. The police are currently finding themselves over worked. Even with some firemen being called in, it is still a lot. There is no such thing as a perimeter when the thing can't be contained.

" _Not_ cutting off any of it's limbs with the portals," Stef answers, "It can regrow them."

Tony lets out a string of curse words at that. Great. Honestly, that was one of his better ideas at this point. And how the hell did he somehow become team leader anyways? It's not as if any of them voted or sat down and talked about it. Or if they did, they never mentioned it to Tony.

"It breaks my web like it's string," Peter says, whining ever so slightly. But that is more out of frustration than anything, so no one comments on it. It's mild, all things considering at this point.

"Right, join in civilian duty then. Your comms should match fine with whatever frequency they are using. Got it Spidey?"

"On it Iron." He says cheerfully. Well, he does like working with people. He wonders how many are going to be able to con him into a signature as he swings by. The people love him back just as much. Most of them anyways, because fuck the Daily Bugle.

"Anything else?" he asks as he tries another shot to the things face. Just for the hell of it at this point. That gets it's attention – first time since this battle started. It growls at him and swipes. Tony avoids it easily.

"The Mind Stone does cut through, but not as effectively as we could hope," Vision says from the other side of the monster.

"Doesn't matter at this point, keep going. Any luck Potter?" he asks Stef as he dodges again. He doesn't fly far, hoping to keep its attention off of anyone less breakable. Maybe they can finally get a damn perimeter now.

"It is still able to shatter my shields with a punch," Stef sounds beyond frustrated by this.

Tony hits it directly in the eye and it howls in pain. Now they are talking here. "Either try another one or get on evac. I think I pissed it off now," he adds dryly as it really begins gunning for him, "Try to minimize structure damage. You good War?" he asks as Rhodey flies up beside him.

"Now that you finally found a weak spot? Hell yeah. What did you do?" There is a grin in his voice.

"Tried the alpha ray actually. It must have had some limited immunity to it I had tried it earlier too."

That's when it shows that it has another trick up its sleeve – or lack of sleeve. Ray beams out of its hands. Fortunately Stef is able to catch it before it does any damage. His magic flares gold around it before it is gone.

Rhodey and Tony look at each other.

"Super," Rhodey says dryly.

"You stole the words right out of my mouth. Right. Potter, try to contain any more of those rays. Viz, come up here and help us distract it. We are the perimeter at this point. Spidey, keep on doing what you're doing. Everyone got it?"

There is a wave of confirmation as they get to work. No seriously, how is he in charge again?

Between the three of them, they are slowly able to contain it. Painfully slowly, it feels like. And thank Einstein it is working. It is still shooting its beams at them, but Stef is doing a great job of catching them. He watches the flares from the corner of his eye.

"Any idea what those things are suppose to do?" Tony asks as he twists to avoid another. Alright, this is getting annoying as well as tedious.

"Beyond the obvious?" Stef asks dryly, "Not a clue."

Awesome.

"Any other ideas of how to contain the Regirock wannabe?" They really need to end this before someone gets seriously injured.

"The what?" Stef asks in confusion.

Tony huffs. What does he mean what? What else would he be talking about at this point? A _unicorn_? Honestly. "It's a pokemon alright, that's not the point. So?"

"No you're right," Stef agrees, "The point is how you know that in the first place."

Tony flips him off and then just flips to not to be hit. "Anyone? Mic is open to all. Don't be shy."

"Aren't rock types weak against water types?" Rhodey asks as he takes his own shot at the eyes.

It roars in pain again. When it swipes, it comes dangerously close to a building. Fortunately it avoids it, but just barely. Clean up is going to be a real bitch after this.

"That's great, but this isn't a pokemon," Stef grumbles as he waves his hand, gold rushing up to grab it and stop it. Tony has to admit that it looks pretty badass.

"Do like you guys did with the Furby?" Peter suggests, "Fry its brains?"

"Does it even have brains?" Rhodey asks.

"Biology would suggest so, but I am unable to sense anything," Vision says.

"Can't you portal it out like you did the Furbies?" Tony asks, feeling like an idiot for not thinking of that sooner. Duh. It worked once, why wouldn't it again?

"Portalling is not the answer to everything," Stef grumbles, "This thing is almost twice the size of those Furbies. The portal is going to take even more time and energy to create."

"You have any other ideas then, oh wise one?" Tony snaps and swoops down to dodge another swipe. He shouldn't be taking his frustration out on the others, but it accidentally slipped out. He is going to have to do something soon and he is afraid he knows exactly what. Definitely not anything he can do from the suit. For the amount of energy he would need, he would likely overload it. Damn.

But then the question is taken out of his hands abruptly. It manages to hit a building, one of the few Stef hasn't managed to handle in time, and it goes down. As he rushes to stop it, the rest of them dodge. That's when it turns to Tony and hits him, full force, with its beam.

It engulfs him instantly in too hot, too much energy. Distantly he hears the others desperately calling his name. He might gasp at the feel of it. He might scream. He doesn't know. All around him, all he can feel is an overload of everything. Then it is gone and he is dropping. Falling limply. Why is he falling? Shouldn't the suit... oh wait. Because the suit is gone, that's why.

"Iron," Rhodey yells, but doesn't reach him before he hits the ground with a thud.

It doesn't register. Not really. He has too much power running through his veins to let a little gravity hurt him. It lights his world up, bringing it all up to HD. He's never experienced anything like this before. He flexes a hand and he can practically hear the thunder rumble in it. Well alright then.

"You want to play big boy? Fine then – my turn." He thrusts both hands out as if he is shooting his repulsors.

Blue beams rush from his hands, the exact color of them. The exact color of the Tesseract. He feels the move with his entire body. Bracing himself, he lets all that extra energy out. It needs out. Yes, he can hold it, but it isn't a good idea to see for how long he can. Foreign energy like this, one that doesn't belong to the body, should never be contained for too long, least something go wrong. So he channels it right back to the source.

The wannabe pokemon roars in pain, but it can't escape it. It is too much. Apparently it can't reabsorb its own energy. That seems like an unfortunate flaw in its evolution. When Tony stops shooting it – when his energy is all gone – it stands stock still for a moment before it collapses. Stef flings out his magic so that its landing doesn't create an mini earthquake.

Well then, Tony guesses that works just as well. He gives Rhodey and Peter, who are hovering right by his side, a sassy smile and then the darkness rushes in. He feels a pair of hands catch him before it all goes black.

-xxx-

Tony wakes up with a groan. Oh fuck, does he fucking hurt. It feels as if he has been run over by a parade. A big one. What the hell happen to him?

"Oh good, you're awake," Rhodey says. "Feeling alright?"

"I'll live," he croaks before Rhodey gives him some water to drink. "Thanks sugar pie." The words come out much clearer this time.

"Good," he nods, "Now what the hell were you thinking?!" he shouts, "You could have been killed. You complete idiot, you were falling and I couldn't get to you in time and I thought you were dead and I swear to god Stark you die, and I am bringing you back so that I can kill you again!" he pulls Tony into a tight hug.

Tony huffs at the force of it, but lets himself relax. This feels nice. Sure, he is still sore as hell and this isn't helping, but it is still nice. He isn't going to complain. He, of all people, knows what it is like to see a friend fall and be too far to catch him. He can save the jokes for later. He pauses. Alright, no he can't. He really can't. "Aw honey bee, I knew you loved me," he coos sweetly.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Rhodey grumbles, but doesn't loosen his hold.

"My knight in shining armour," he continues in that same tone.

"Some knight," Rhodey says into the crock of Tony's shoulder.

"Oh no platypus, don't use that tone of voice now. Remember what you always say about me blaming myself for things I can't help. Don't think I won't repeat it back. Because I will. If I have to sit through the lecture, then so do you." He pokes Rhodey in the side to make his point clear. He totally will too. He has the entire thing memorized. He casually disregards what that says about him.

Rhodey lets out a reluctant laugh and squirms away from his finger. "Fine you brat. Now sit still so I can strangle you for scaring another five years of my life off of me." He cards his fingers through Tony's hair.

"Only five?" Tony asks.

"Well you do it so often now, it's lost its effect somewhat. _Do not_ take that as a challenge," he warns.

"Course not butter cup."

"Yeah, right. Are you-"

Peter rushes into his room before Rhodey can finish his question. "Tony!" he shouts, "You're awake." He launches himself onto the bed and grabs the part of him that Rhodey isn't holding. He gets as close as he can, practically becoming one with his back.

Tony is cocooned on both sides. Warmth is all around him and he can't move. Good thing he doesn't have to right now. He couldn't, even if he wanted to.

"Good to see you up Boss," FRIDAY says, "I know you are suppose to get your beauty sleep, but there's no need to overdue it."

He frowns at that. "How long was I out?"

"Three days," Peter answers him.

Three days. Oh. That would explain the reaction then. Three days might be mild on his terms, but clearly not on everyone else's.

Jane and Darcy walk in, looking relieved. They join the others on his bed as well. It is a good thing it is as big as it is or all of them wouldn't fit. Not that this is the reason he has such a big bed either, but it works.

"Man, glad you're alive," Darcy says, "cause now _you_ can deal with people. They're losing their shit over this."

"Over what?" Tony asks with a frown. What went wrong now? He's almost afraid to hear the answer. There are so many things it could be.

"Your powers of course," she says in a obvious tone of voice.

His powers, what does she mean? Then he groans as he remembers exactly what she is talking about. Because of course people saw what he did and spread the word. Of course. It is only natural that they didn't stay quiet about it. Because that would make his life so much simpler. At least this happened _after_ Ross got kicked out of power. He dreads to think what he would do if he could. "Never mind, I'm not awake," he mutters against Rhodey's chest.

"Sorry powerhouse, but too late for that. You almost broke the internet."

He groans again. "How bad is it?"

"Let's see, Councilwoman Rosewater would like to talk to you. Shuri called. Pepper wants to know if you are alright. One Christine Everhart would _love_ an interview right now. FRIDAY is screening the rest of the calls. In general, everyone has an opinion. It goes from you being a mutant to being a shape shifting alien to you being from an alternate universe to you being experimented on as a child. You know, since Howard worked on the super soldier serum. Then you have the hilarious ones where people are convinced that you are actually a clone – also super powered up – or actually Tony Stark de-aged to a teenager again."

"What?" he yelps, jerking in Rhodey's and Peter's hold.

"Mmhmm, buzzfeed and reddit are flooded with theories at the moment. There's quite the debate going." She sounds far too amused for this, "Not that anyone besides the other nuts are giving it any steam. Still, you have to admit that the fact that they are right and no one believes them is hilarious."

Tony can't deny the irony here. Still... he sighs. "Enough people are going to believe the mutant theory that they won't make a big deal out of it, will they?" If not, he might have a problem. Xavier would probably cover him, if he explained the situation to him, but he doesn't want to have it come to that.

"That is the general consensus for anyone who isn't into conspiracy theories, yes," Jane says.

"Oh good," Tony says, real feeling behind it. One less thing. Dealing with all of this isn't going to be fun, but it is going to be manageable. "Do I have to do it now?" he admittedly whines. He doesn't want to . He doesn't feel up to it at all.

"Not yet," Rhodey says, "Stephen said you should eat and then rest when you finally woke up. He didn't give a timeline because even he didn't know."

Yea, more good news for now. "Why did I pass out anyways?"

"Because you idiot, you overdid it," Rhodey sounds huffy again, "Just because you _can_ hold that much energy doesn't mean you can if you're not use to it."

"Oh." That makes sense then. And food sounds really good right about now. His stomach rumbles then, as if to reinforce that idea.

The others laugh.

"Rest," Rhodey orders, "food is on its way now. FRIDAY took care of it. Right Fry?"

"Right War Man," FRIDAY says.

All of them leave the room except for Peter. All he does is adjust so that Tony is now using him as a pillow. "I thought you were dead," he says, voice wobbling a little.

"But I'm not. I'm fine Peter Rabbit."

He sighs. "I know that now. But then..." he trails off.

Tony hugs him tighter. "Sorry. I'd promise never to do it again, but we both know how well that will work."

"I know, but school is really hard when you are worried about when your boyfriend is going to wake up. And Ned kept asking about you. MJ is major suspicious, but she still doesn't know anything yet. And Aunt May knew too. It was... it was hard."

Tony doesn't exactly know what to say to that. He can't exactly make any promises or reassurances. Both of them know that it isn't always possible to keep them. "I love you," he says without thought. It just sort of slips out without his consent. Shit, what the hell did he-

But before he can panic too much, Peter answers, "Love you too."

And doesn't that make him feel all warm and gooey inside. Emotions. Yuck.

Everyone gathers on his bed to eat when the pizza arrives. He complains about crumbs, but he doesn't really mind all that much. It makes the warm feeling in him grow. Once again, ew. Even if it isn't as gross as he pretends. No need to tell anyone that. They might get the wrong ideas.

When he calls Shuri, she freaks the fuck out on him, asking him a million questions and demanding to see what he can do. He promises to transport the next time they meet so she can see. And he will show her and Barnes what else he can do as well. Barnes, as it turns out, was worried about him. They both were. Huh. Weird.

Councilwoman Rosewater is fairly easy to deal with. Given that he has already hinted to something exactly like this, it isn't exactly a shock. And it explains to the rest of the Council one of the – many – reasons he was against Ross. She does tell him that the revised Accords will be finalized in a week for his team to sign. It comes out rather more firmly than necessary, given that he had no plans to avoid it. Still, it could have gone much worse than it did.

The press conference went relatively well too. It was a bit crazy, but Tony refused to answer questions at that time. There would be opportunity enough. At least Jane's word was confirmed and no one seriously question whether he was a mutant or not.

The most surprising thing that came out of this is an unexpected visitor to the Compound – Magneto. Well so much for Tony having to call him then. He changes so that he isn't wearing any metal and goes out to meet him. If he were a lesser man, he might feel intimidated, meeting one of the top mutants – and a labeled terrorist at that – in just a band tee shirt and sweatpants, barefoot. But Tony walks out confidently, as if he owns the place. Which he does.

"I see you decided to skip the part where you make an appointment," he says casually.

Magneto raises an eyebrow at that. "The line was busy," he says dryly.

Tony snorts. Oh boy, sign number one that this is going to get real interesting real fast. "Yeah, sorry about that, but things have been a little crazy around here lately. Sure you can understand that."

"Yes, the public reaction is rather... memorable."

Memorable. That's one way to put it. "So what can I do for you? I hardly think you are here for tea and biscuits. Or did you come to see for yourself if it is true?"

"None can doubt at this point. I do confess some curiosity. Edan Stark – the boy who came out of nowhere and took the world by storm. Rather convenient timing, yes?"

Tony rolls his eyes. "Please don't tell me that you are one of the ones that believe I am a clone? Because that is ridiculous. And before you ask, no I wasn't experimented on and no, I am not Tony Stark." The words slip out of his mouth almost without a thought. "You can ask Stephen Strange or Wong – there is no such thing as a de-aging spell."

"I see," Magneto says carefully, "So you have been raised in hiding because of your ability – energy absorption was it? And now you are coming out when you feel you are needed?"

"You make it sound so dirty," Tony complains, "I stepped in because Dad wanted out of the spotlight. Maybe I came out a little sooner than I was expecting, but eventually I would have in any case. You must know that. So why are you really here?"

"Maybe it is as you said, I wanted to talk to you myself."

"Please don't tell me you want me to join the Brotherhood," he says.

He curls a lip at that. "No, I am aware of what a waste of time that would be. Rather, maybe I want to know your thoughts in general about our rights and what you are going to do about the Accords."

Aw, here it is then. "Sign them," he says simply, as if there is no question. Which really, there isn't. Not for him.

"Why?" Magneto sounds both angry and slightly confused, "Do you not know what they will eventually turn into? What all documents of that kind turn into? Or do you naively believe that everything will turn out fine?"

Tony centers himself. He is going to need to be to get through this conversation. Not that he believes he can convince him of his point of view. But maybe, if he words it right, he can get his point across. Not to convince, but to see. He nods.

"First off, I can understand why you think this. I know what laws like this have done before. No I have never been exposed to them, but I know of them. Not the same thing of course," he waves a hand, "but I am speaking generally here. But all of those laws only involve one country here. The Accords have one hundred and seventeen – and counting – countries. That is going to make a difference there. And yes, before you say anything, I know Ross is a perfect counter example here. Because he's an asshat."

Magneto snorts at that, but he can hardly deny it. It's true after all.

"But while people were working to get him out, I was still working with the Council. Well, technically I was working with one Councilwoman, but the point stands. There are _a lot_ more people on the Council than Ross. That means a better safety net. And I know more have been built in too, to stop someone like Ross from happening again."

"It always sounds good, so well meaning in the beginning," Magneto says.

Tony sighs. "Look, I talked to Xavier already, to ask him about something completely different than this. And he mentioned that you survived World War Two. So I'm not going to blame you for your distrust. I think it's wrong in this case, but I'm not going to condemn. But I do have a question of my own for you."

Magneto crosses his arms, clearly waiting.

"You do realize that you are so concerned about mutants that you have become what you lives through, right?" And maybe this is stupid to ask. Alright, there's no maybe about it. But this is something that has been genuinely bothering him.

The earth under his feet shake. "How dare you," he growls.

But Tony stands his ground and just shakes his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I've heard it all before, trust me. You want to protect mutants. That's great, we need it sometimes. But you do it with hate. You hate humans so much that you have labeled all of them the enemy."

"Are they not? They fear what they do not understand? And what they fear they kill."

"In some cases yes. But in others. They go after them because all they have is _you_ for an example. You who kill humans because they aren't born with the gene. They can't help that anymore then mutants can who have the gene. I'm not saying you can't be wary, but you can't kill them all either!"

"And so we let them kill us instead."

" _Instead_ you find common ground. Find a way to work with each other. There are ass holes all across the spectrum. The gene doesn't change that. Or, hell," he throws his hands up in the air, "if you are so against the idea, go form your own nation! That way you can make the rules and ensure the protection of anyone who lives there."

"So let them chase us away instead."

"That's not what I'm saying at all. Jesus, are you actually this much of a dickhead or are you just pretending to be? Because I don't need this shit. I put up with it enough and it has nothing to do with the x-gene. Cause, you know, the rest of the asshole population." He crosses his arms in defiance. So there. Ugh, people.

But then a reluctant smile forms on his face. "You are quite something, you do realize that I hope."

"All the time," he says and is promptly ignored.

"There are not many people who would speak to me that way. Less who would concede that I have some logic behind my behavior. The Brotherhood will be with you when you need us." He nods and turns, floating away.

Tony stares blankly after him, blinking. Wait, what? What the hell just happened here. Did Magneto just... "What the actual fuck?" he asks out loud, hoping it will make more sense then. It doesn't. He shakes his head and goes back inside. Honestly, his life is so strange anymore.

"Alright Tones?" Rhodey calls, obviously having watched the entire thing. His face says that if it isn't, all he has to do is say the word and Rhodey will be there. The others are standing beside him, ready to back him up.

He grins happily at them. "Yeah platypus, everything is good. Don't know what the hell that was, but it's good."

"Well then get your ass back in here, it's Disney marathon time."

Tony laughs as he walks back. Yeah, he may not know what his life is sometimes, but he wouldn't trade it now for anything. "Who's picking?" he asks and listens as the bickering begins.


End file.
